True Grit – XII
A mentally tough friend of mine – the visionary Andrea Piana – is, like many of us, digging deep personally and professionally at the moment.
He is drawing inspiration from another of his friends – Dan Cnossen – a US Navy Seal who lost both his legs in Afghanistan in 2009 and became a Paralympic multi-skiing Gold Medallist and inspirational public speaker.
Having been carried down a rocky hill after igniting an IED that blew off both legs, Dan demonstrated True Grit to recover, revive and re-ignite the Flame of Life.
He speaks of five things to overcome hardship and build resilience – something we all need in these most challenging of times.
1 Find Your Cohort. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who share your goals – you will help guide and support each other. None of us is as good as all of us!
2. When things get tough, sharpen and narrow your Focus. Focus, Commitment, Discipline. Thinking Big is OK – as long as you pair it with Thinking Small. What’s the next step, what can I do tomorrow, what detail can I work on today. Set a simple, short-term, close-in goal, a small milestone and reach it. Then set another. Meet, Beat, Repeat.
3. Shatter Negative Perspectives. Break out of the narrow, painful, sometimes tragic circumstances – unveil another way of looking at the situation. Be grateful for what you’ve got, not what you’ve not. Dan had lost two legs – but he still had two working arms – and no-one else on that hill was going to get injured. This helped him rise above adversity and transform tragedy into glory.
4. Let It Go. Focus on what is possible now. Double down on what you can do, put in real work, develop new skills – start with small things. Believe in yourself. Believe in Life.
5. Focus on your impact on others. Facing extraordinarily difficult situations is often overwhelming, especially when those situations seem unfair and meaningless.
Yet meaning is often hidden under the veils of suffering.
Learning to see this is one of the most powerful ways to be resilient.
Dan focused on the fact that his detonation of the IED may have spared the other men on his team.
In recovery, he set a good example for other injured veterans by putting in long hours of physical therapy.
Today, he’s a public speaker who uses his life’s trials to inspire others with hope, determination, and resilience.
Dan summed up his message at the end of a TED talk:
“There is a very real and powerful sense of self ownership and agency in acknowledging that despite all the uncertainty and risk in life – you do indeed control your reaction, your attitude, your mindset, your perspective.” Yes. Control the controllables – and everything is controllable, ie it’s your reaction, your choice.
Thank you Andrea. Thank you Dan.
Believe!
KR
