Elevated Conversations: How Chaos Can Turn Into Control

Back in May, I published a two-part series on how to turn adversity into a win. If you haven’t read them yet, here are the links to part one and part two.

The gist of the idea of turning chaos into control, and adversity into wins, is based on one of my favourite books, “The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Act of Turning Trials into Triumph,” by Ryan Holiday.

Ok. Favourite is an understatement. I’m a bit obsessed with this way of thinking, frankly, especially as 2020 continues to be an exercise in “What is even happening??”

• Covid-19.
• Border closures and sheltering in place.
• Shuttered businesses, high unemployment, and an unstable stock market.
• A slow move toward a “soft” re-open (emphasis on SLOW).
• And massive global protests (and rightly so) against the continued impact of racism in our societies.

Some of you might be wondering which side is up right now. But I like to look at the world through a lens of clarity.

• What can we learn from difficult times, personally and professionally?
• What changes can we make to shift-gears and perhaps see business from a different angle?
• Who are the people who can be relied upon for support?
• And how can we actively embrace chaos, rather than be beaten down by it, and turn in into an instrument for change and growth?

What inspired me to touch on this again (I mean, aside from everything listed above! :D), was an “Elevated Conversations” event I held recently.

In the Roaring 2020s, Virtual Dinner Parties are All the Rage!

If you’re not familiar with “Elevated Conversations,” it’s a series I started originally as an in-person dinner party. I’ve now turned it into a virtual soirée, a small circle of big minds who get together monthly to explore topics of financial, technological and other visionary possibility.

These times of social distancing have made networking and the resultant sharing of ideas with peers difficult. And that’s really the purpose of Elevated Conversations: to bring together smart investors, entrepreneurs, founders, and business owners and chew over and debate what has really become an era of disruption.

If you want to hear more from that event, where I posited the question “Can the obstacle actually be the way?” you can listen to my latest episode of “I’m a Millionaire! So Now What?”

Three Steps to Turn Chaos Into Control

Back to how to turn adversity into a win. Not to get too Pollyanna on you (LOL), but I’ve tried to make it my niche to share positive, uplifting stories from members of the Self Made Nation who have not only faced adversity in some way, shape, or form, but have overcome!

Reading about other entrepreneurs and business executives who have faced challenges head on, persevered, and ultimately succeeded can provide valuable takeaway and lessons learned for all of us!

Hence, I wanted to re-introduce you to three important steps you can take, three disciplines that will help you get into the habit of seeing chaos as opportunity.

• Perception: discipline of the mind
• Action: discipline of the body
• Will: discipline of the heart & soul

Perception teaches you:

• Vision – Focus on the present, and to view events as neither good nor bad.
• Attitude – Why getting emotional, fearful or upset does nothing to help. Remind yourself daily (hourly if you must!) “I am NOT going to die from X chaos.”
• Approach – YOU decide what an event means to you, you choose to adopt a perspective of strength versus weakness, and you opt to have unflappable coolness under pressure.

Action teaches you:

• Discipline and decisiveness – the characteristics of most successful executives
• To adopt traits such as courage, deliberation, boldness and persistence.
• To decide which action you will take when faced with an obstacle: Run toward, run away, or become paralysed with fear.
• That “AH HA” moments don't appear out of thin air, in fact they usually take multiple attempts (ergo, multiple failures). And that’s ok.
• Finishing is the most important thing.
• And that failure to act guarantees failure. It doesn’t matter what happens, what matters is what you make of what happens.

Will teaches you:

• That this too shall pass.
• That your own internal power can’t be affected by the outside world.
• And that you build will through practice, and cultivate it through the art of acquiescence, quiet humility, resilience, flexibility.
• That obstacles in life are actually a good thing.
• And to acknowledge pain or hardship, learn from it, and move on.

The most important thing this way of looking at obstacles does is it inspires us to STOP blaming outside forces for what’s happening, and to instead focus inward, at our own attitudes and approaches to the matter.

To End…

If you’re interested in joining me for a virtual Elevated Conversation, the next event is being held on July 6^th, and space is limited! You can learn more about it - and register - here!

I hope you’ll join us!

And please reach out if you would like to connect. I’d love to tell your story! You can drop me a line here.

“I’m a Millionaire. So Now What?” is brought to you by Double to Sell - Canada's Premier Invitation-ONLY workshop for business owners wanting a cash-rich exit in 10 years or less. For more information, or to register, please visit the “Double to Sell” website.