The Three Gifts 🎁🎁🎁
In any challenge, we can find lessons for growth
My last year of law school, I experienced a devastating setback that altered the course of my life. I fell off a trampoline and suffered a mild traumatic brain injury. At first, the symptoms were blurred vision and dizziness, then, a few months later, I started having cognitive issues. For the next three years of my life, I sought answers from many different medical and healing professionals.
During that time, I thought my adult life might be over before it even started. I was so sick I missed my law school graduation and preparing for the Bar Exam. While other friends were getting married and starting their careers, I was in and out of doctor offices, seeking a variety of treatments to get me back to “normal.”
Looking back now, I marvel at how far I’ve come. At the time, living on my own, building a career, and starting a family seemed like dreams that would never be realized. But they all did come true—after many years of healing and recovery.
This period of my life is what’s sometimes described as the Dark Night of the Soul—that sorrowful valley experience where our mettle is proved. At that point, I didn’t want to hear the wisdom of others who encouraged me to look for the gifts in my experience. But oftentimes that is exactly what we need to do in the midst of or right after experiencing a crisis.
In his course Positive Intelligence, coach Shirzad Chamine shares a powerful technique for helping us find the positive in such difficult experiences. It’s called The Three Gifts. No matter how severe the trial, Chamine believes that we can learn lessons that give us knowledge, power, and inspiration. It’s up to us to set the intention of what we will learn from the experience.
For my crisis, I set the intention that I would recover and I’d share my experience with others who suffered a similar injury. Over the years, I’ve been able to share my story and knowledge about brain injuries with those struggling with a similar diagnosis. Just knowing you’re not alone and someone else understands you can be a huge encouragement when your brain isn’t functioning.
I also found power in my experience. I realized that I’m a lot stronger and more resilient than I thought. Never again will I take for granted my health or the support of my parents, who cared for me during such a difficult time in my life.
Inspiration was the third gift I received as a result of my crisis. My desire is to see brain health become a priority for the medical profession. Any time I encounter someone who has been touched by brain injury, I want them to have greater resources and support than were available to me.
Author Brad Meltzer once wisely observed, “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.” We all experience challenges and crises at any given point in our life. And sometimes few people know the extent of what we’re dealing with. Maybe you or someone on your team is experiencing their Dark Night of the Soul right now.
If you’re going through a challenging experience right now—no matter how small or big—look for the Three Gifts. This technique can help you convert a challenge into an opportunity. You can shift a negative experience into an intention where you will gain knowledge, power, and inspiration. It will raise your consciousness, and therefore the consciousness of the world. Because each of us can BE the change we want to see by starting with ourselves.
Work happy. Live happy. BE happy.
Meredith
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