01 Jun What an Old Chinese Story Can Teach You About Resilience
I remember first hearing or reading this story many years ago now.
I loved it then and I still love it now.
It tells us so much about happiness and resilience, about life and living well … with equanimity (a much undervalued, IMHO, emotion and state of being).
So, you’d like more happiness, or more happiness in a more balanced and deeper consistent way, then read on …
via Inc.com by Maya Hu-Chan
For entrepreneurs, the highs are high and the lows are low. Here’s how to thrive through it all.
Recently, a group of colleagues and I discussed the familiar ups and downs of entrepreneurial life. When work is plentiful and things are going well, we’re too happily distracted to think about what may come next, which is often a slow period, and all the unease and anxiety that comes with it.
The conversation brought to mind a Chinese parable.
A farmer used an old horse in his fields. One day, the horse escaped into the hills. When his neighbors sympathized with the farmer over his bad luck, he replied, “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?” A week later, the horse returned — along with a herd of wild horses. What good luck, the neighbors said. “Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows,” the farmer replied. Later, as the farmer’s son attempted to tame one of the wild horses, he fell and broke his leg. What bad luck, the neighbors said. “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows,” the farmer replied. Some weeks later, the army marched into their village. They drafted every able-bodied young person. The farmer’s son, with his broken leg, was not one of them. Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?
The farmer’s mindset embodies the Buddhist teaching of impermanence: “This shall pass.” When dealing with the ups and downs of life, it’s a mindset that fosters resilience and hope.
Leaders and entrepreneurs can benefit from mindsets similar to that of the old farmer. This mindset helps us weather “lucky” and “unlucky” times alike. Here are some other strategies that can help us navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurial life.
Adopt a growth mindset
In her book “Mindset,” researcher Carol Dweck posits that our mindsets can shape whether we believe we are capable of learning and growth, and how we respond to challenges. Those with fixed mindsets think their talents and abilities are set in stone and incapable of evolving. Those with growth mindsets believe continuous improvement and development are not only possible, but the likely result of hard work and effort.
Adopting a growth mindset can help leaders through slow periods of work. People with fixed mindsets may think the slow periods are permanent, an immovable challenge and an indictment of their skills and worth. A growth mindset helps us frame those slow periods as temporary – and keeps us open to opportunities…
… keep reading the full & original article HERE