Go back to: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | Day 15 | Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 [Haven’t taken the IN AWE 21-Day Challenge? Join here.]
Welcome to Day 19 of the IN AWE 21-Day Challenge! Today we spark inspiration, meaning and joy by PIVOTING INTO ADVERSITY.
CHALLENGE: Own your mindset, thoughts, actions to stay grounded and grateful.
INSPIRATION: Franklin D. Roosevelt weathered a lifetime with Polio, the Great Depression and World Ward II + yet, at his fourth inauguration he spoke words we need to hear today: “The great fact to remember is that the trend of civilization itself is ever upward.”
Get a peek of my Pivoting into Adversity webcast to get more perspective on how to use gratitude to navigate today’s unknowns into tomorrow’s possibilities:
ACTION: Ask yourself “Why me?… Why am I so lucky to have this day in front of me?” Then honor that gratitude and sense of abundance by filling your day with meaningful activities that help you grow. Learn a new language, how to play the guitar, get back to nature, reconnect with your spouse.
Share what you will do to help yourself grow during this season in the comments below or on social, tagging me + using #InAwe.
My friends, today is your day! Live IN AWE.
John O’Leary
Did you know? The 21-Day IN AWE Challenge is inspired by John’s new book IN AWE. Order your copy + see all the fun behind the scenes at ReadInAwe.com.
11 replies on “In Awe 21-Day Challenge – Day 19”
PIVOTING INTO ADVERSITY – I just finished watched Channel 9’s program on Franklin D. Roosevelt. What an example he gave to our country during that turbulent time in history. Today’s shut down has given me the opportunity to take better care of myself so I can give to others. I am anxious in a good way to get back to my volunteering. I choose joy everyday and am grateful for all the blessing in my life.
We have all been learning the guitar during this time – I try to commit 15 minutes a day to practice. Also, doing this challenge and a Warrior Men’s 14 day challenge. Doing meditation and wim hof breathing and a lot of self-care. Today, took the day off with the family, drove out to point reyes for a hike and a picnic and got a nap in on the way home (resting on my daughters shoulder). Now making dinner with the kids for Beth to celebrate her…and stopped by to see my Mom. The journey is on.
I am grateful for this down time, because I was lucky to keep my job.
I still wanted to do more with this renewal period, I wanted to clean my house too, but I didn’t have that time that most people heritated to start this…
I choosed to take my morning “alone” time to improve my writing skills. I love writing (in French!), and I want to include it in my work for a long time. These days are perfect for me to grow with my words!!
I am taking all this down time to read books like In Awe, The Garden and Relationship Grit in order to keep myself focused on the present and be ready for a better future. Have participated in many online opportunies by Jon Gordon, Tony Robbins and now Sir John O’Leary. Better days ahead.
I am still working from home now as a physical therapist which presents it’s own challenges, but I did decide to learn how to play the piano again. I played for 3 years starting in 1st grade so it will be quite challenging but I am going to do it or at least try. Thanks for sharing this experience, it’s been fun.
Pivoting into Adversity
Seven months ago, I asked the question, “Why does it have to be this way?” I thought my world had just fallen apart and things would never be the same. I was wrong about my world falling apart, but I wasn’t wrong that things would never be the same. I’d have to say, “I’m glad many things are not the same!” Just as many of us are feeling those exact thoughts today, we are going to be grateful for the new changes in our life. I am! I have grown more in my struggles than I have in any other situation. Yesterday, my 20 year old daughter accidentally dropped bright blue nail polish on the tile and it splashed onto our white walls (at first, I thought she was playing an April Fools Joke). Ten years ago…I probably would have said unkind words to her and she would have gone to her room and cried, but yesterday we laughed, cleaned most of it up and thought we should paint fish, as if they were blowing blue bubbles! I have grown in patience and glad my daughter chose to spend this time with me.
To help myself grow, I’ve started learning new business skills like how to really use social media beyond “posting” and “liking” and learning how to set up a website landing page.
I’ve also dove into more personal development, reading and listening to books that help to either improve communication skills, or that uplift and reinforce my gratitude. This is a time to not only to learn new skills, but also to support ourselves and our friends, neighbors, and community with love.
I’m so fortunate to have this time in isolation. It’s teaching me to reach out to people every day, people I may not be reaching out to ordinarily. Neighbours (there are 48 in my building), clients, family, and co-workers. And in that, in many cases actually speaking with them on the phone. 🙂 And it feels good at the end of the day, to add to my gratitude journal the conversations I’ve had. Also, I’m also learning to care first with my clients, and not go to the business end of our relationship. It takes sensitivity and wisdom, and again, felt wonderful to just talk about life, without pressure from either side that it was about business. I’m also so fortunate to be taking the time to just read, including #inawe. I’m grateful for my health too.
I’m fired up by this Norm! I especially love the part about caring for your clients first.
I’d like to send you a copy of IN AWE once it’s released in May. Please send an email over to brian@johnolearyinspires.com and include the best address to send to. Thanks!
I am spending a lot more time with my husband and reconnecting with him. I am also enjoying being able to worship and be a part of a women’s prayer group no matter what happens.
I would love to be learning a new language during this time. I am still working in the office during this time and I’m beyond grateful I get to. I feel more productive and useful in the office. Yes being safe and only 4 of us in a very large space. If I wasn’t, I’d be learning Spanish! Since I’m still working, our hours are reduced by a day and I am taking that time to do the cleaning I’ve put off for months, some parts years – and it feels so good to have it be clean! I also for the first year have my indoor garden planted – should be ready to plant outside middle of May! This is huge for me. I’m so excited about these two things it’s really keeping me going! #inawe