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June 16th, 2013 by LaRae Quy
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe receive updates via email. Thanks for visiting - LaRae. Recently, I was honored to be a guest on The Iron Jen Show, a radio program dedicated to helping leaders overcome adversity.
Iron Jen asked questions about which characteristics are essential in leaders who overcome obstacles and adversity. We talked about several examples I provided in my book, Secrets of A Strong Mind. Among the topics we discussed during the interview were the roles of authenticity, faith, positive thinking, and boldness in effective leadership.
This is a transcript of that interview:
You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LaRaeQuy
 Read my book ““Secrets of a Strong Mind,” available now on Amazon.
Tags: adversity, authentic leadership, bold, faith, leaders, overcoming obstacles, strong minds
Posted in personal leadership | 2 Comments »
June 10th, 2013 by LaRae Quy
One of the most transformational moments in my FBI career happened in a hallway with dim lights that made the muddy government brown carpet look like beach silt. My squad had just met with the Special Agent in Charge (SAC), who had gone around the table and asked each agent for a briefing on their most important cases. When it came my turn, I gave the SAC my update.
He asked me why I hadn’t been more aggressive, I promptly told him that the Assistant Special Agent in Charge had denied my request to move forward in the investigation and blamed it all on him.
After the meeting adjourned, one of my fellow FBI agents caught me in the hallway and said, “You know what you’ve done, don’t you?” When I shook my head, he continued, “You’ve just dimed out the ASAC. You need to go tell him what you’ve done so he doesn’t hear it first from the SAC.”
I took my fellow agent’s advice seriously because he was a man of integrity and good judgment. I saw the wisdom of what he said, and although I was not looking forward to it, I walked into the ASAC’s office and explained exactly what I had done. I apologized and told him I didn’t want him to be caught flat footed when his supervisor queried him about it.
The ASAC was gracious and accepted my apology. I also think he admired the fact that I was willing to take responsibility for the cowardly way I had chosen to respond when under pressure in the squad meeting.
Blaming others is never a good way to do business. It’s dishonest, shows poor character, and destroys relationships. Blaming others is something we did as children; sadly, many of us have never outgrown our desire to escape punishment from parents and teachers.
People in leadership are finger pointing all the time. What do we hear from our politicians in Washington D.C.?
“. . . It’s not my responsibility,”
followed closely with
“. . . It’s not my fault,”
and then
“. . . Someone else needs to do it. The Republicans need to do this, the Democrats need to do that . . . someone, but not me.”
So the question is, what is at the bottom of our desire to blame others instead of taking responsibility ourselves? The answer is this: a fragile ego that will go to great lengths to preserve our own self-esteem and self-image.
- Fragile egos produce leaders who are weak because they don’t want to learn anything new about themselves (click to tweet). If they do, it is an admission that they’re not perfect, which means they are still a work in progress.
- Fragile egos feel they give up control if they concede they need to improve (click to tweet).
- Fragile egos lack the confidence to admit they still need to improve themselves (click to tweet).
If we spend our time blaming others, we have no time to look at ourselves. Blaming others prevents us from learning about ourselves. When something isn’t our fault, there’s no reason to do anything differently. Which means we will inevitably make the same mistake in the future. And that will lead to more blame . . .
Psychologists believe that people with fragile egos were rewarded for their achievements as children rather than asked how they felt about things that happened in their day. Performance and image were all that mattered; only winners were worthy of love. They learned to impress people and one of the most efficient ways of doing this is by performing to get the attention of others. Performance can take many forms. I know this is certainly true of myself—on a large cattle ranch, I often found myself performing so I could compete with sick cows and wild horses for the attention of my busy parents.
As leaders with fragile egos, however, we also perform. We blame others if our performance is bad and lacking in good judgment.
Here are some ways you can learn more about yourself so you can stop blaming others for your own performance:
- Notice when you hear yourself becoming self-promoting, putting a spin on your accomplishments, or adjusting your manner to enhance the impression you hope to make.
- Learn to recognize when you’re doing them as a performance for others.
- Resist the temptation to blame others because your performance is not perfect.
- Become aware so you can make choices to control your behavior.
- Choose to take the blame for something so you can get used to how it feels. You might be surprised by the positive responses you get from others, and find that once you provide the example of “ownership,” they will do the same.
Taking the blame means we have the personal strength to accept failure in ourselves. As I mention in my book, Secrets of A Strong Mind, when we stop blaming others we can start learning from our mistakes and succeed another day.
What do you feel is at the bottom of your tendency to blame others instead of taking responsibility yourself? How do you deal with the fear or anxiety that comes up when you compare yourself with others? How have you handled or reframed your own failures?
You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LaRaeQuy
 Read my book ““Secrets of a Strong Mind,” available now on Amazon.
Tags: blame, blaming others, ego, fragile ego, leaders, leadership, pointing fingers, responsibility, strong mind
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June 3rd, 2013 by LaRae Quy
 This month’s Best of Lead With Giants is being hosted by Dan Forbes on his blog LeadWithGiants.com . Jump on over there now to see the best leadership blog posts published this month from the Lead With Giants Community.
The Best of Lead With Giants June 2013
Click HERE
Tags: leaders, leadership, positive thinking
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May 29th, 2013 by LaRae Quy
There has never yet been a man or woman in our history who led a life of ease whose name is worth remembering~Theodore Roosevelt
Success and failure are two sides of the same coin. No one succeeds without experiencing the disappointment that comes with failure. Learning to fail better is essential for leaders wanting to succeed better (click to tweet).
There are two kinds of failure. One comes from being too timid to move out of our comfort zone because we’re always waiting for the perfect time or perfect circumstances.
The second kind of failure comes from a bold and adventuresome spirit. We push our boundaries to the point we fail; we know that this sort of failure only motivates us to learn more about the very thing that has defeated us.
This article first appeared in Lead With Giants. Read full story HERE.
You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LaRaeQuy
 Read my book ““Secrets of a Strong Mind,” available now on Amazon.
Tags: curiosity, failure, leaders, leadership, Persistence, positive thinking, strong minds, Success |, willpower
Posted in personal leadership | 7 Comments »
May 26th, 2013 by LaRae Quy
 Growing up on a remote cattle ranch in the middle of Wyoming, I learned at a young age to never say “I can’t.” Then again, I had a grandmother who was a crack shot with a shotgun. Come summer, she was the kind of person who would rather burn her front yard than mow it.
My grandmother never had more than an 8th grade education, but she knew something that researchers at world-class universities are just now understanding.
And that is, every time we say the words “I can’t” we are creating a feedback loop in our brain that impacts the way we’re going to behave in the future. We’re reminding ourself of our limitations, and we’re really saying, “I don’t have the confidence to do this.”
Have you ever said to yourself:
- I can’t speak well in front of a bunch of people, so don’t blame me if it goes badly.
- I can’t perform well under pressure, so don’t blame me if nothing happens.
- I can’t take on a project like that, so don’t blame me if it’s not a success.
Every time we repeat phrases like these, they produce a negative feedback loop in our brain.
There are two regions of the brain, and an MRI scan can show what parts of the brain are lighting up when we are thinking. If you fold your fingers into a fist, they would represent the cerebral cortex—the thinking part of the brain. This is the brain that finds new ways of thinking and generating solutions; it is more logical in it’s approach.
But the moment something creates fear or discomfort, we move into another part of the brain. The thumb underneath your fist would represent the limbic system—the reactive or emotional part of the brain.
The limbic system is instinctive and survival driven. When we’re confronted with threatening obstacles, we move from the cerebral to the reactive limbic system and it creates the “fight” or “flight” reactions that have kept humans alive for centuries. I describe the limbic system as our “bird brain” because it’s the home of our small but powerful gut instinct. It helps us deal with emergencies and threats to our life.
The bird brain is 100% self-protective and it’s not a good place to be when we’re trying to make decisions when facing adversity. But we don’t need to flee from every challenge just because it scares us. The bird brain can’t discern between anxiety about a threat to our safety and anxiety about speaking in front of a group of people.
All it knows is that if you’re in discomfort and feel anxious. Instinctively, it tells you to flee or withdraw, so you obey and say, “I can’t.” We have to switch gears to consciously move out of the reactive limbic system and into the thinking cerebral brain. When facing adversity and obstacles, it’s vital to get the two brains working together so the best decisions can be made.
In my book, Secrets of A Strong Mind, I talk about how facing adversity and overcoming obstacles can create mental toughness in leaders.
Here are 4 steps to develop the brain of a leader:
1. Prioritize—this forces the brain to interact with information rather than simply react to it. Creating visuals with whiteboards and listing projects is an excellent way to force the limbic system to interact with the cerebral brain to sort out the day’s activities. Otherwise, we risk the chance of our two brains fighting against one another for attention and energy.
2. Manage—find ways to control the stress. As an FBI agent, I experienced as much fear and anxiety as anyone when confronted with stressful situations. Research has shown that law enforcement personnel such as FBI agents and Special Forces can quickly manage their fear and anxiety. It’s not that they don’t feel discomfort; it’s that they have been trained to manage that discomfort so they are hardier and more resilient.
Here are two ways to manage stress:
- Learn to Be Grateful—gratitude emanates from the limbic system, and because of this, we can use gratitude to influence other emotions such as anxiety and fear. The ancient book of the Bible reminds us that “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24 ESV)
- Learn to Write Down Feelings—writing down and then thinking about certain areas of our life for which we feel grateful can boost our ability to counter the negative emotions we are experiencing. Keeping a journal moves us from the limbic system into the cerebral. It’s important to not only think about why we are grateful, but also to focus on the feelings attached to our gratitude.
3. Label—this means describing an emotion in one or two words. Step 2 encouraged you to identify and write down your emotions. In Step 3, you will label them.
Although most people expect labeling emotions to increase emotion, when you label your fear or anxiety you actually lessen your discomfort. It’s very important, however, to keep the label to one or two words because if you open up dialogue about it, you will only increase the emotional state of the limbic system.
4. Be Positive—change your interpretation of the situation. We have an innate bias toward negativity. We process bad news faster than good news because our bird brain is survival driven. This explains why we’re driven to avoid losses far more than we’re driven to pursue gains. Our emotional responses flow from our appraisals of the world.
My grandmother knew that it was not lack of fear that creates a successful response; it’s how we deal with fear and anxiety. For FBI agents, leaders, or grandmothers everywhere, let your discomfort be a trigger to take positive and constructive action.
How has gratitude helped you gain perspective when faced with adversity? What types of situations require leaders to be survival driven and rely more upon their limbic system?
You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LaRaeQuy
 Read my book ““Secrets of a Strong Mind,” available now on Amazon.
Tags: adversity, anxiety, gratitude, leaders, leadership, limbic system, resilience, strong minds
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May 20th, 2013 by LaRae Quy
Although few of us will ever experience the level of abuse and horror of the three women held captive for ten years in Cleveland, we can all expect to encounter a major traumatic event at least once in our lifetime. The way in which we respond to risk, uncertainty, and adversity is called resilience, and it varies widely from person to person.
Experts cannot agree on one specific definition of resilience because everyone’s definition of risk, uncertainty, and adversity is different. What is certain, however, is that we all recognize Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight will need resilience to cope with their traumatic experiences.
The essence of resilience is to respond positively to the changes that come with risk, uncertainty, and adversity. We build predictability into our life so resilience is not something we think about. And yet, the world around us is becoming more volatile all the time. The industrial economy is redefining itself and the financial markets with it.
We need to understand resilience if we are to survive and thrive in the face of change.
Let’s look closer at how all three women used resilience to survive, and because of that, why they have a good chance of rebounding from their experience:
Create A Tribe
The biggest advantage all three captives had were each other. They became a tribe of three. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken~Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV).
As a new agent at the FBI Academy, one of the first requirements was for all of us to stay on the Academy grounds and not leave for the first 6 weeks of our training. This was tribe-building at its best, and it showed us how to build trust and lean on one another when faced with fast-moving situations.
Communities and tribes with thriving, interconnected neighborhoods find that the way they share resources helps them withstand unexpected change. Seth Godin describes tribe-building as an investment because connection thrives on generosity, not need.
Establish a Support Group
The three women formed a formidable support group for one another.
Those who suffer alone are far more likely to break down. One of the most important determinants of overcoming obstacles, breaking through barriers, and surviving adversity is the depth and expanse of our networks. The tough and rugged go-it-alone image of John Wayne or other action heroes in movies is a fantasy. As human beings, we need the emotional, psychological, and intellectual support of others if we are to be resilient when faced with change in our environment.
Back in the day it would be called support groups; today, it can be called Facebook, Google+, or other on-line communities.
Confess to Others
Confession is laying the heart open to others so that all is seen. Trust is key when confessing our true feelings because we are exposing our vulnerabilities. Ten years in close captivity, Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight shared every aspect of their life with one another.
The opportunity for emotional disclosure is a huge factor in post-traumatic growth. Being able to “let it out” matters a lot. For many people, especially women, Oprah Winfrey was the go-to person for personal confessions. Repeated studies have shown, however, that most of us don’t need to confess to other people to receive the same benefits. We can write in a journal or talk into a recorder.
Keep Positive
When we heard Amanda Berry’s voice on the 911 call, it was full of strength and resilience. It was a voice that had resolved to never, ever give up.
As an FBI counterintelligence agent, my job was to recruit foreign spies to work for the U. S. Government. The most vulnerable people were those with a negative attitude because they lived a life of quiet desperation, focusing on things they couldn’t control and always blaming others for their situation. As a result, they failed to focus on what they could control: their own beliefs, attitudes, emotions, and behavior.
Conversely, positive thinkers control their beliefs about themselves. And once they control how they feel (attitude and emotions), it positively influences what actions they will take (behavior.)
Change Focus
For the three captives, survival was their primary focus. They did not have many other distractions so they could stay in this frame of mind.
Most of us, however, have many competing priorities and it’s easy to lose our focus. We do not have to walk alone if we reach out and ask for help. We can find strength and support through a “board of advisors.” These are our “go-to” people when we need sound advice, a new perspective, certain expertise, or simply a good listening ear.
Normal people have problems. The smart ones get help~Daniel Amen (click to tweet)
Accept Reality
Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight endured ten years of captivity despite repeated abuse. To survive, they had to accept that their circumstances would not change. Instead, they were able to utilize their psychological, social, and physical resources to stay alive. The safe birth and rearing of an infant in this environment is further proof that all three used what resources were available to ensure survival.
As a new agent at the FBI Academy, I was taught to look reality in the eye and accept the fact that a bad situation is not going to change. Instead of expecting or hoping for changes in my environment, I adapted to my situation and searched for the positive in it.
Soldiers returning from war and missing arms or legs cannot hope their situation will change; it will not. Yet they can be positive about their new situation and find ways to survive their new reality.
Volatility is our new normal. The core principles of resilience are important to understand if we’re to survive and thrive in the face of change. The examples of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight are a good place to start.
What would you add to my list of how to be more resilient? Beyond resilience, what other trait do you think is important to thrive in the face of change?
You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LaRaeQuy
 Read my book ““Secrets of a Strong Mind,” available now on Amazon.
Tags: adversity, overcoming obstacles, positive thinking, post traumatic growth, resilience, Risk, strong mind, uncertainty
Posted in personal leadership | 6 Comments »
May 13th, 2013 by LaRae Quy
 Fantasy movies and novels are very popular for a good reason: we like to imagine we’re in someone else’s skin and living their story. The stories of others can sound more fun and adventurous than our own.
The stories of others provide an escape from the routine we face everyday, and they offer us glimpses of what it’s like to be the hero that confronts obstacles and overcomes adversity.
It’s not just movies and novels that keep us from being fully present to our own life. We also distract ourselves with television, shopping, online social networks, video games, cell phones, etc.
Becoming the person you are, or were meant to be, may be the biggest obstacle in your life right now. You can stop avoiding the opportunity to live your own life by developing your unique talents and attributes and recognizing them for what they are. This means experiencing the full spectrum of your true feelings: fear, anxiety, happiness, sadness, joy, anger, resentment, disappointment, excitement and despair.
Strong minds are empowered to excavate the significance of their own stories and experiences and accept themselves for who they are. You cannot be an authentic leader if you cannot lead yourself.
When you live your story you . . .
. . . Won’t lose faith in yourself every time you trip over an old weakness.
. . . Won’t waste time looking for love to make you complete.
. . . Won’t over-value material things.
. . . Won’t feel lonely when you’re with yourself.
. . . Won’t live in the past.
. . . Won’t live in the future.
. . . Will accept that none of your life has been wasted.
. . . Will not dread what is yet to be revealed about yourself.
. . . Will always look at the truth as your friend.
. . . Will no longer be looking for a place to hide.
When you live your story, you are empowered. Don’t dwell on mistakes you’ve made—they were important learning lessons. Use them as a platform to view the future. Remember, all things were difficult before they were easy (click to tweet).
What obstacles have you overcome to be the person you were meant to be?
You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LaRaeQuy
Read my book ““Secrets of a Strong Mind,” available now on Amazon.
Tags: authentic leader, leaders, leadership, overcome adversity, overcoming obstacles, strong minds
Posted in personal leadership | 8 Comments »
May 10th, 2013 by LaRae Quy
 This month’s Best of Lead With Giants is being hosted by Dan Forbes on his blog LeadWithGiants.com. Jump on over there now to see the best leadership blog posts published this month from the Lead With Giants Community.
Here’s the link:
The Best of Lead With Giants May 2013
Tags: leaders, leadership
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May 6th, 2013 by LaRae Quy
Like the characters in the movie Silver Linings Playbook, it’s possible for leaders to change focus in life by maintaining an upbeat attitude.
In the movie, Bradley Cooper plays a man with bipolar disorder who takes on a personal motto, excelsior—Latin for “ever upward.” As he tells his therapist, “This is what I believe to be true: You have to do everything you can, and if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining.”
This is probably not a surprise to anyone who already has the habit of looking on the bright side, but there is actually ample evidence to suggest that maintaining a positive outlook on life provides very real benefits. As leaders, however, it can be difficult to stay positive in this difficult economy. Nevertheless, our ability to succeed depends on our ability to cope with whatever life, and business, throws at us (click to tweet).
Here are 5 significant things to remember when assembling your silver linings playbook:
1) Optimists are not always positive thinkers. These are two very different breeds of animal and their motivation is what truly separates their thinking.
2) Positive thinkers are not necessarily happy or optimistic.
3) Optimists try to find ways around the misery, or choose to put a spin on things so they can anticipate the best outcome and be happy.
4) Positive thinkers, conversely, are blunt realists who look misery right in the eye and confront the most brutal facts of their day without losing hope.
5) Optimists leverage opportunities as a path toward happiness; positive thinkers leverage reality as a path toward hope.
Many leaders consider themselves optimists because they are always striving for greatness in their work. But in doing so, they set themselves up for failure because leadership requires the mental toughness to not lose hope while in the midst of adversity and overcoming obstacles. It is the hope that comes from faith, both in themselves and in something bigger, better, and bolder than themselves.
As a young agent, I worked on a child kidnapping case. I quickly learned that while the FBI would welcome opportunities or breaks in the case, we would (1) not wait for them, or (2) expect them. Instead, we sorted through the facts and analyzed each one to determine how or when the situation could get worse. Positive thinking is looking for how to achieve the best outcome in a very bad situation.
The FBI never gave up hope as we pursued the kidnapping case, and neither did the parents. Diligently pursuing leads in a large metropolitan area and canvassing neighborhoods by showing photos of the little boy, someone recognized him and provided a vague description to the sketch artist of the man who accompanied him. This might not seem like much, but the t-shirt the man was wearing was distinctive. It was the best lead we had—agents contacted every store in the city that sold the t-shirt and showed them the sketch.
We had several possible identifications, and each one was pursued. The little boy was found—only hours before being smuggled out of the country and sold to a prostitution ring in Asia.
Positive thinking is sifting through the rubbish to uncover whatever tidbit of good information is available (click to tweet). Sometimes it not much, but it’s always enough to help move forward. Positive thinkers make their luck when they have to, and more importantly, they never give up hope.
How would you differentiate between optimists and positive thinkers?
You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LaRaeQuy
 Read my book ““Secrets of a Strong Mind,” available now on Amazon.
Tags: adversity, leaders, mental toughness, optimists, overcoming obstacles, positive thinking, strong mind
Posted in personal leadership | 10 Comments »
April 29th, 2013 by LaRae Quy
This article first appeared in Consulting Business Buzz on January 14, 2013.
 I grew up on a cattle ranch in a remote part of Wyoming and Dad made sure I learned how to ride a horse by the time I was six-years-old. So no one was more surprised than me when Dad brought home a couple of four-wheel ATVs a few years ago and used them, instead of horses, to check on the cattle.
The ATV looked much easier to ride than a horse when I first saw it and I was anxious to try it out! Dad took off first and I followed. The terrain on our ranch is mountainous, however, so I soon found myself sideways on a steep hill and in danger of tipping over. Suddenly, this huge motorcycle on four wheels looked more dangerous than any horse I’d ever ridden.
To go headfirst down the steep hill and over the cliff appeared even more dangerous, so I continued to inch my way down sideways—it seemed the safer router. By now, Dad had stopped his ATV and was running toward me.
“Turn your wheels straight downhill,” he shouted. “Only by facing it head-on can you get safely down the cliff,” he said. Slowly, I turned the wheels straight down the steep embankment ahead of me, and the ATV started to move forward. I made it safely to the bottom.
Turns out that moving toward the threat was good advice from my Dad. While in new agent’s class at the FBI Academy, our instructors continually placed us in training situations where we were confronted with obstacles. For many of us, our first reaction was to either pull back or take circuitous routes around the obstacle. But the message by our instructors was this: Only by falling into the unknown are we be able to explore it (click to tweet).
To increase safety, move toward the unknown.
To increase chances for success, move toward the challenge.
The closer we get to the unknown, the more we can educate ourselves about it. The steps to follow and actions to take may not reveal themselves to us until leaders have moved closer to the situation. Mountain climbers understand that it’s impossible to know where to place fingers and feet by looking at a mountain from the bottom. Only by getting close enough to explore the cracks and crevices can they find places of safety.
A great deal of my FBI training was learning how to move toward the threat and focus on the opportunities presented by obstacles. Leaders can also learn to keep a mind strong when confronted with the unknown.
Here are four ways:
1. DEVELOP HABITS – When you are in the middle of a crisis, it is not the time to learn how to deal with obstacles. Go into training so that before obstacles present themselves you have cultivated courage, confidence, and discipline. When you make yourself aware of certain difficulties that are inevitable, you can prepare yourself mentally for confronting them head-on. Soldiers, warriors, and athletes appreciate the preparation it takes to mentally and physically meet the challenges ahead of them. They know it can be ugly, daunting, and grueling, but they are equipped.
2. CREATE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE –Most barriers are internal, not external. Internal lack of confidence can create the external challenges (click to tweet). The U.S. Army is using research that has shown most people, when confronted with adversity and the need to survive in fast-moving and challenging environments, will experience initial feelings of fear, frustration, and paralysis. Given sufficient amounts of time, however, they recover and continue to perform at the same level they were performing before the adversity.
At one end of the continuum there are a small percentage of people who do not bounce back and remain unable to cope with their circumstances without assistance. They often need counseling and can experience breakdowns.
On the other end of the continuum, however, are those with strong minds who not only survive adverse and traumatic situations, but also thrive and grow. They key is having the right attitude. People who have affirming thoughts about themselves and their abilities are more likely to survive the intense pressure of obstacles and adversity.
3. BUILD A SUPPORT SYSTEM – When the going gets tough, we all benefit from feeling connected with others. Sometimes just talking things through with someone who has had a similar experience can help guide you through a difficult time.
At the FBI Academy in Quantico, we were not allowed to leave the Marine Corps base for the first six weeks of our training. We were to use this time to bond and build relationships with other members of our new agent’s class. Humans are social creatures and we need emotional support from friends and family members. When confronting obstacles, having people you can trust by your side can make all the difference.
 4. THINK SMALL – A truly daunting task can produce discouragement in the toughest. The trick is to focus on the little piece that is right in front of you. If you are bogged down with a huge task, break it down into small enough pieces so that you can set goals or markers of achievement for yourself. Then focus on your attention on that.
When confronted with changing environments and fierce challenges, you may need to leave your place of safety and press forward with the willpower of a strong mind. Nothing is impossible. It’s up to you to find a way. Even the most prepared and effective people can find themselves facing adversity and will need to find ways of turning obstacles into opportunities for growth.
How have you turned adversity into an opportunity?
You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LaRaeQuy
 Read my book ““Secrets of a Strong Mind,” available now on Amazon.
Tags: adversity, breaking barriers, leaders, overcoming obstacles, strong mind
Posted in personal leadership | 1 Comment »
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Read my book ““Secrets of a Strong Mind,” available now on Amazon.
