It is said that the first step to any solution or path forward is admitting that you have a problem.

Thus, I am reminded of the famous, “Houston, we have a problem!” transmission of Apollo 13 Commander James Lovell (as played by Tom Hanks in the Movie of the same name) indicating the beginnings of perhaps the most “successful failure” on record.

Well, Houston, and the rest of America, We have a president! 

(NOTE: at the writing of this, I don’t yet know who our next president is; this is not a political commentary but an opportunistic title intended to get attention).

In the same way that adventurer Ernest Shackleton’s 2000 mile Arctic expedition in 1914 has become a stellar example of leadership in perilous times I am hoping this next presidential term, whether it be four or eight years, can also be viewed as a “successful failure.”

We have no other choice!  We must find a path forward and create a “successful failure” from our present challenges. 

If the polls are correct half of us are upset no matter the outcome.  In a strange way that is the way the system is supposed to work!  We are not supposed to agree. 

This is a perfect time to practice “Acceptance” and develop a healthy understanding that “it is what it is” and move forward.

Kathleen Casey Theisen, author of “Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations….” tells us, “Acceptance is not submission.  It is acknowledgement of the facts of a situation.  Then deciding what you’re going to do about it.”

You have read my words here or heard me say before, when facing criticism your first action should be to reject it; even laugh at it, then in private when rested and confident to reflect on the input before finishing your thoughts in a self affirming and nurturing manner.  This is how I describe my own theory of what I call the “cycle of criticism and self love.”

You, we, America, can always find something positive in any situation!  Here is a real life workplace example:

One day, in my role as a Nursing Home Administrator I took a panicked call from the corporate office.  My boss said, “Your census is way down!”

My response:  “yeah, but we solved our staffing crisis!”

Even my boss laughed. 

Once again, the beneficial twist of humor saved the moment and lent perspective to the situation.

Now, setting aside the fact that with a low census we could not afford to pay the people that we couldn’t find to hire; I chose to find a positive in the challenge that we faced.

Even in troubling times we can find a positive.  Sometimes it is easier to “climb up” and out of a hole than to “keep up” with the treadmill of life. 

We used our “down time” to canvas our team and to solicit ideas to solve both our census and our staffing crisis and guess what?  Things got better!

Often I find things get better even if your direct efforts don’t lead to a path forward toward an obvious or immediate solution.  Sometimes, simply the passage of time resolves the issue and exercising pro-active rather than negative or fatalistic thinking helps contribute indirectly to the solution.

Remember the “Hawthorne Effect” that, in essence, says, you can achieve a short term improvement simply by observing something.  Focusing on an issue with the hopes of having an impact in a desired direction often causes a shift in that direction.  Just looking at and thinking about something can have a positive influence on that “something” you are looking at.

Or consider the book “Anatomy of an Illness” by Norman Cousins where he discusses his true belief of the curative qualities of laughter and positive thinking.

If you find yourself knocked down, in a hole, take the time to rest, reflect, look up at the ridge of the hole you need to climb out of and then, start climbing.

Enjoy your rest!

Once you finish your “climb up” you then get to start once again to “keep up.”

Houston, America, we have a President!

No matter who the next President is, we now start a journey that will be a shining National example of our latest “successful failure!”
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Lon Kieffer, author of “Get Out of Bed and Go to Work!”, Speaker, Consultant and expert on Workplace Culture Change and Generational Conflicts, gives seminars, keynote and plenary addresses, runs annual sales meetings, and provides Common Sense Consulting at:  www.LonKieffer.com. He can be reached at:  (302) 462-6748 or via email at:  Lon@LonKieffer.com