When it comes to communication we always have options. When real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran tells her story she includes, and indeed focuses on, when her longtime boyfriend left her for the secretary and told Barbara, "you'll never succeed without me."
When I had the pleasure of interviewing Barbara during my time at Good Morning Texas I observed the following, Barbara USES her story to connect with anyone who has ever felt misused, slighted, underestimated, or done wrong. (That's apples to all of us I think!) But here is the catch that makes Barbara's story so powerful.. instead of presenting this tale as "woe is me," Barbara looks at this slight as the birth of her power. It is what inspired her to succeed no matter what and what turned her into the powerhouse she is today.
When you tell your story online, in a job interview, or even during a first date... don't sugarcoat life's struggles, but don't dwell on them either. Look for the lessons they offer and focus on those.
I'd bet my bottom dollar that Barbara wakes up in her New York penthouse every day and thanks God that her boyfriend ran off with the secretary all those years ago. And I'd also bet my bottom dollar that if we all learn to embrace life's challenges, the jerks, the tough times and look at them as lessons... we'll be thanking God for removing them from our lives and moving us forward too.
Maybe get out the thank you cards today and send them to someone who treated you ill, and list all the ways it made you grow. You don't have to mail it... but you can if you want ;)
Comments