Virginia Wolfe once said, “Arrange whatever pieces come your way.”

We are living in times of high change right now.  Life as we knew it for most of us has changed dramatically with the fall of the housing market; which then had a domino affect on just about every industry out there.  I’m sure you have experienced some significant changes in your life, as I have.

I want you to think about those words of wisdom from Virginia Wolfe, “Arrange whatever pieces come your way.”  Often times hidden opportunities exist in what appears to be our problems.  There is an old german saying that life can be understood backwards, but unfortunately we must live it forward.

Instead of looking at your problems as “failures,” look at them with a different set of eyes.  Look for the hidden opportunity in those problems. 

Donald Trump, real estate investor, successful businessman, published author, star of “Celebrity Apprentice” and the list goes on is a wonderful mentor of mine.   I admire Donald Trump on many levels even though he has had his fair share of “problems” or what others might even say are failures. 

Mr. Trump has lost millions, but the great part is that  he knows how to make millions (again and again and again).  So when an investment goes south or he loses a lot of money in one area, because of his drive, intelligence, determination and resilience, Donald Trump simply recreates another million in a different way.  He “reinvents” himself.

You are the co-creator of your life.  You are in charge of taking the “pieces” of your life as they exist right now, in this moment and rearranging them.  I am doing that in my own life now.  I am reinventing myself.

In the past 3 years I have had several “challenges” just like many other people.  One of my largest streams of income from 2002 to 2008 was my outside sales job (selling high end hot tubs and swim spas).  I worked about 20-25 hours a week and it was a big part of my 6-figure income, however, in 2008 all of  that changed.  That “stream” of income essentially dried up. 

So what did I do?  I had to rearrange the pieces of my life.  I had to do what Donald Trump does when things go south, try something else.  A lot of people are suffering right now because they are trying to hold onto the past.  That sales job I spoke about was a very “cushy” gig, but I knew intuitively that it was a sinking ship and I needed to get off the boat before it went under.  So let me ask you a question:  What are you holding onto?

Another change I’ve experienced is in the housing market.  When the housing market started to decline, I had just purchased the Million Dollar home that I currently live in.  I was engaged at the time and we were planning on getting married in this house and starting our new life together.

The “pieces” changed and me and my fiancee of 8 years split up.  I’ve learned that when you purchase real estate with someone who is not your spouse, at any time, they can petition the court and make you sell the house.  We have been in mediation and now in Court because of the house.  The part we didn’t plan on was losing $300,000 of equity in this home.  I also didn’t plan on paying the mortgage on my own.  I’ve done that for 4 years now and as a result of the market, the lawsuit with my ex, I am most likely going to lose my home.

I have a choice though.  I can get all stressed out about it or I can look for the hidden opportunities.  And I’ve found them.  I’m rearranging my life, my businesses and my muliple streams of income.  I’m reinventing myself and I can tell you I’m having fun! 

Just ask some of my online students.  I’ll be sharing with you next week one of the emails I received from a current online student that was so profound and powerful.

When we “accept” the pieces that come our way we don’t suffer.  When we “fight” them, we suffer.  The choice is yours.  I choose to be like Donald Trump and know that success isn’t just about “winning” at everything you do. It’s about putting yourself out there in a BIG way, taking BIG risks, and it’s about failing.

Thomas Watson, Founder of IBM, once said, “The formula for Success is to double your rate of failure.”  Yet most of us are taught to avoid failure.  That’s why we play small.  We’re afraid to expose ourselves and to look bad when/if we fail.  So we stay away from risks; essentially most people settle.  The good news is, however, that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Do you know who Babe Ruth is?  Most people do, but what you might not know is although Babe Ruth set a world record for home runs, he also led the league in strikeouts!  Yes, that’s right, he had the most strikeouts. 

I will even take a risk and say that Donald Trump has more strikeouts than he has successes, but he’s a risk taker and when he wins, he wins BIG.  Just like Babe Ruth did.

Are you playing small?  Are you stuck in your comfort zones?  Your wealth zone is directly related to your comfort zone.

In order to create your own “success story”, you must learn to take calculated risks and also, allow yourself to fail.  When you have so called “failures” in life, it means your not sitting on the sidelines.  You’re in the game.  So go out into the world and create a new success story for yourself by taking the pieces that are currently in your life and rearranging them.

If you need some help, I’m here to support you in your growth!  I have several online courses as well as individual coaching packages if you would like one-on-one help.

I look forward to hearing about your success stories!