Given the continued shock waves circulating the world’s financial markets it is my observation that the character of individuals is being revealed by how they act or react in the face of the pressure. What about you?
We all have stories to tell. One person I was speaking with during the week has lost $500,000 off the value of their share portfolio.
Clearly they are not happy. It remains to be seen whether he will stay in the market and ride the inevitable ups and downs with a view to clawing back value or whether he will cave in to the pressure and realise the losses.
What would you do if it were your money?
The underlying issue here is not the (as yet unrealised) loss of value from the share portfolio – it really is how do you handle pressure?
Ed Cole, author of “The Potential Principle” (a book I highly recommend, along with another of Ed’s books, “Maximized Manhood”) says,
“The difference in men who succeed and fail is their ability to handle pressure.”
Pressure always magnifies.
For example, think of your favourite sport and sportsperson and imagine that early in the season they kick a goal; hit a six; birdie the 18th (or whatever is relevant to your preferred sport); everyone would think it’s good – they are in form.
However, jump forward to the Grand Final, World Cup Final, US PGA Tournament (last hole of last round) and the pressure on that same sportsperson to perform is magnified intensely. How they handle the pressure of the moment will determine their ultimate success or failure in winning.
The same is true is all aspects of life and business.
Your ability to stay focused when all hell is breaking out around you and not succumb to crisis management will be critical to your moving closer to the achievement of your commercial objectives.
So how do you handle pressure? Rate yourself on a scale of one through 10 where one is poor and 10 is excellent.
How would your spouse, business partners or employees rate you? Do you have the guts to ask them? Are you really willing to hear what they have to say and why?
Not everything they will say will have validity. However, if you have the guts to ask the question, you should also have the strength and maturity to look for any seeds of truth and take action as necessary. In that way you can become a better person.
Of course, there is an alternative. You can get defensive, play the blame game, not accept personal responsibility and generally behave like a loser (not recommended). The only outcome of this choice is you become depressed, resentful and bitter.
What is your usual behavior pattern?
Are you ready and willing to change?
I hope so since you have so much life to live and we were created to be blessed and blessed so that we can be a blessing to others.
Whilst as business people I recognise that we need to stay in touch with what is happening around us I strongly suggest that you change the diet of brain food that you digest.
From a practical viewpoint this means reducing the amount of “bad news” that you listen to that can get around your heart and mind and create fear. Turn off the TV news. Do you really need to read the newspaper from cover to cover each day?
Replace the bad with good, positive, uplifting information. Personally I find time praying and meditating at the beginning and end of the day and time spent reading and declaring the promises of the Bible over my life and business to be very worthwhile – afterall I believe we can take God at His Word.
Of course you may have a different way of getting positive input and that’s ok too.
Just remember:
- You will attract into your life those things or circumstances that you fear.
- You also attract into your life those things which you have faith in.
From a Christian worldview, fear and what it produces (poverty, relationship breakdown etc) always comes from Satan. Whereas faith and what it produces (restoration, trust, prosperity etc) always flows from a loving God.
If you think about it this makes sense …why?
Because the characteristics (culture) of the kingdom will always flow from the character of the king.
The same is true in business. If the business owner/senior management teams are the kings; then their character will have a huge impact on the way (culture) the business/workplace (kingdom) will function or in some cases not function.
ACTION:
1. Obtain and read “The Potential Principle” and “Maximized Manhood” by Ed Cole
2. Ask yourself, spouse, business partner and employees the questions raised in this article
3. Rate yourself on how you handle pressure
4. Reduce the amount of negative input into your head, heart and mind
5. Increase the amount of positive input into your head, heart and mind
6. Develop a plan (start with the end in mind) that you will use for the next 90 days to help you stay on track. | 
