January 2018

Dear Society Member,

American writer Joseph Campbell once said, “If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s.”

It’s officially 2018. With the new year, spring semester, and thoughts about what the future may hold, it’s not uncommon for uncertainty to chip away at the excitement. Oftentimes life can be uncomfortable, but that’s not necessarily a bad place to be. It’s all about perspective.

Having perspective is the difference between accepting or resisting the new challenges life throws at us. Failing to maintain perspective often causes us to overreact to situations that rarely merit the stress we experience from them. In actuality, it’s almost never the situation itself that causes stress, but rather our thoughts and reactions to them. The next time you find yourself in one of these situations and need help maintaining or finding perspective try doing the following…

Step 1. Remember that situations are temporary, so keep a positive attitude.

“Someone is in profound pain, and a few months from now, they’ll be thriving like never before. They just can’t see it from where they’re at.” - Danielle LaPorte

Don’t get caught up in the worst-case scenario. The key to great leadership is being able to rise above the situation and be positive.

Step 2. Ask yourself the following questions:

What are my expectations? Are they realistic? Many stress related problems occur because of unrealistic expectations. Be honest with yourself and realize that sometimes being a perfectionist can be a recipe for disaster.

What are the lessons? There are typically a few good lessons in every challenge faced. Take a step back and look at what those lessons are and make note of them for the future.

What’s the bigger picture? How important is this difficulty in the overall scheme of things? What will this matter five years from now, even one year from now? Don’t devote precious energy to circumstances which do not carry life or death consequences.

Widening your perspective and stepping back will enable you to improve your attitude and mindset, reduce tension and stress, and develop deeper self-awareness.

I wish you all positive thoughts as you launch into the new year and semester.

Best wishes,