Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it a seed of equivalent benefit – Napoleon Hill
Hi, I’m Coach Rob Opie, and the subject of this week’s COACHING NEWSLETTER is
Turning Adversity into Advantage
No matter who you are, no matter where you are – it will come to you as well.
No one is immune to ADVERSITY. It tests one’s mettle and it’s how we handle adversity that becomes one of the major determinants of our future success and significance – and often our happiness and health.
In this week’s coaching newsletter , we go inside the game plans of the some of the greatest in their sporting field , to explore how they turn adversity into advantage .
Adversity is the diamond dust that heaven polishes its jewels with – Thomas Carlyle
What do American golfing sensation Jordan Spieth, British Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton and Canadian Olympic ski champion Alex Bilodeau all have in common?
They have all experienced adversity close by, and learnt how to turn adversity into advantage
They inspired through adversity. And adversity plays a big part of who they are – and what sets them apart.
For Spieth it’s his younger autistic sister Ellie. For Hamilton it’s his half – brother Nicolas, who has cerebral palsy. And for Bilodeau it’s his brother Frederic, who also has cerebral palsy.
It is no coincidence then that an inspirational bond exists between high-achieving athletes and disabled siblings.
Life’s greatest setbacks often reveal life’s greatest blessings
While all three athletes compete in sports that encapsulate the notion of the international jet-set, they all still possess the same sense of grounding, which comes through observing adversity close by.
It comes from a home environment that serves as a constant reminder of good fortune and inspired these champions to make the most of their advantages.
It’s about taking every opportunity out there.
He’s my everyday inspiration, sometimes I wake up in the morning and its rainy and I don’t want to train or go out and ski. I look at my brother and if he had that chance he would go, he would grab it – Alex Bilodeau
While Spieth is taking on the likes of Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson, he finds inspiration in knowing that not every human is allowed his or her destiny. It then becomes a duty to take that test on. And humbly appreciate it.
Golf is not my life – it is part of my life– Jordan Spieth
Spieth often appears unruffled in the heat of battle. That nature comes, his family explains, from leading a domestic life that cannot promote him as the star of the show, no matter his own noble achievements.
His father Shawn giving him the following advice before he teed off on the final Sunday – before becoming Masters Champion .
The Masters is the greatest game, but it’s still a game.
Spieth, Hamilton and Bilodeau draw strength from adversity – and turning it into an inspirational force.
Adversity strikes each and every one of us at some point in our lives.
It tests one’s mettle in the impact zone.
It’s tough to take, but the measure of any player is how you react to the worst of times – as well as the best of times – Jonny Wilkinson
The trick is to get out of the impact zone as quickly as possible .
But , the wise man also knows, that adversity is the true training ground of champions.
It’s here that the great champions learn to hone their champion skills – like resillience, like flexibility , like poise and like the ability to improvise .
The moments that challenge us most – define us : Lewis Pugh
Practical Tip for the week
If one chooses to focus one’s thought patterns only on the obvious drawbacks of adversity – one can easily find oneself becomng stuck with the mindset of a victim .
And that’s dangerous place to be ……..
Great Champions see both sides – ” the drawbacks” and ” the benefits” that arise from any adverse situation – no matter what form that adversity may take .
Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant – Horace , Roman poet
Adversity presents opportunity, if one opens up to the miraculous balance of our universe.
Here’s how to put the power back into your hands :
When faced with adversity – write down on a piece a paper all the drawbacks – and also then write down all the benefits .
You will find that there are many benefits as well , as the universe will always provide us with equal challenge and support.
Consider this wisdom from someone I knew, who conquered one of life’s greatest adversities:
In hindsight, cancer has been a blessing. I view the gift of life and living with an infinitely more spiritual perspective and appreciate the miraculous balancing act that underpins all our life experiences, in a new way.’
Our greatest stressings are often our greatest blessings.
GO GREAT . AND PLEASE REMEMBER THE FREE ADDED VALUE AVAILABLE TO YOU ON THIS 11 WEEK PROGRAMME :
I’M COACHING LIVE BY EMAIL :
If you need any help , please email me any of your coaching questions – and I will get back to you by email.
All emails are 100 % confidential.
GET IN TOUCH . robopie@thegameplan.co.za
Till next week , when we take an inside look at : GAME CHANGER NUMBER EIGHT : AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE – when we explore how gratitude reciprocates .
THANK YOU CELL C : A special thank you to Jose and Doug at Team Cell C for their continued support of our GROWING SOUTH AFRICANS GREAT initiative at THE GAME PLAN .
THE GAME CHANGERS – ROB OPIE , foreword by John Robbie
How to achieve your greatest potential in your professional and personal life
My latest book is due out 1st December. And it’s yours for Mahala . I will be taking all the feedback I get from this online programme and bolstering the book .Please do keep sending me your own stories of Insight , Innovation and Inspiration. They are greatly appreciated
In his latest book , Rob suggests that everyone can find the key to real achievement in life. Finding real purpose need not be random. It is an awesome proposal and one that must be investigated by anyone who fears being ordinary – John Robbie.
Rob Opie is a Brand Strategist , Entrepreneur ,Speaker, Author and Performance Coach.
He helps teams and individuals to achieve their greatest potential in life.
TO BOOK ROB TO TALK AT YOUR NEXT CORPORATE TEAM EVENT , email him direct at :
Read more about his inspirational 2017 POWER TALK at : THE GAME CHANGERS : GOOD TO GREAT TO GREATER.
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You can either book a TWO HOUR one-on- one coaching session( dependent on your location and my travel plans ), or a two ONE HOUR phone coaching sessions.(or skype audio): Cost R1000.00.
Find out more about Rob’s potent game- changing coaching method : THE GAME PLAN METHOD
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THE GAME CHANGERS . POWER UP YOUR GAME .POWER UP YOUR SALES
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And here’s some more Insight, Innovation and Inspiration for Mahala :
