The Weakest Link
I'm sure you've heard that phrase, 'We're only as strong as our weakest link." This refers to of course, the idea that a chain will hold only as long as it's links stay connected. When the weakest of those links gives out, then so will the chain and thus the chain will be broken. In a team effort, a sport or work environment, when the weakest link breaks then the team will fall apart...or will it?
I look at this phrase in a bit of a different light. I don't look outside of myself for the weakest link, instead I look inside. What can I do to make myself stronger? What can I do to be more effective and helpful in life and to those around me? If I have built a team, with whom have I built it?
It's up to me to chose those around me with whom I associate and therefore I want to choose the best team. What can I do to create a strong and workable team? And if there is someone who seems to be struggling on the team then what can I do to help them succeed? It is a team effort after all, work, family, friends...life. In fact I think this holds true whether you know the person or not. Help is a big thing, it's the KEY thing.
Now in any given situation you might say, 'I didn't choose my co-workers, I didn't choose my work environment.' But in reality you did. You applied for the job, you sought out that kind of work and now that you're in that situation it's up to YOU to make the best of it.
Surrounding yourself with the right people in life is vitally important but what do you do when you find yourself in an environment where others might not have the same outlook as you do? This goes both in your work life and your personal life.
It's inevitable, there will be people around you who don't see the world they way you do and might be a 'Debbie downer.' The question is HOW you deal with it? Will you succumb to their mode of thinking, their 'downer' attitude, or will you strengthen your "link" in the chain and thus thrive in the face of what otherwise might be a negative situation?
Personally I choose to THRIVE!
Look at it this way, when people have that downer attitude they are in effect trying to make you agree with their perspective. They want YOU to feel down to justifying the reason THEY are down and most of the time you don't even know WHY they're down and they probably don't either. Have you ever tried to get that downer person to look on the "bright side"? It's pretty hard. They'll usually come up with excuse after excuse or comment after comment that justifies their attitude, blames someone else for their "bad situation" and no matter how hard you try to perk them up...they stay down. Actually the harder you try, the more down they will get.
To be clear, I'm not talking about someone who has had a setback in life like a loss or an upset. Everyone will naturally have moments in their life when they are down based on real life events but eventually as time passes and the setbacks fade we recover to our normal selves. I'm talking here about those perpetual down people. They're seemingly down for no reason whatsoever.
So if you're happy with the environment in which they are NOT, then their goal is to make you unhappy in the very same environment. Doesn't sound logical does it? It's not. I covered that part in the blog post The Wrong Kind Of People take a look at that if you haven't read it. That and The Bad News blog.
In addition to the Debbie Downers you of course have 'the haters'. These guys actually make me laugh. They are those that attack from afar, from anonymity trying to shoot you down while you are moving forward in your life. Well here's the funny part of this.
All they are doing is making you more powerful!
Their actions have the exact opposite effect that they think they do. There's no time for hate in our lives. Turn a blind eye to the haters. They're just like that radio noise in the background while you're working. Just go over and turn off the radio. Simple as that. They are the Debbie Downers who are unhappy with their own lives. Their presence around you just means that you're succeeding and prospering! Stay in the present.
Helping others and yourself achieve Success is always the best remedy to The Weakest Link.
THRIVE!
James on IBDB
Here's a link to a book and audio book that I listen to all the time. It's call The 10X Rule written by New York Times Best Selling author Grant Cardone. I listen to this at least 4 times a week and continually refer to his book. No matter what business you're in you can apply the lessons he teaches in this book to your life and increase your happiness on all levels. Take a look below:
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