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Facing Challenges

Editor’s Note

Danielle is an intuitive genius when it comes to business and life. Check out her wonderful guest article on facing challenges and a quick exercise to identify tools you can use to overcome challenges.

When I got fired from my own company, I cried myself to sleep and got up the next morning and did crazy Kundalini yoga in my living room to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Soul, soothed.

When my marriage hit the snowbank, I knew just the poetry book to read obsessively, the right astrologer to call, and that Green Smoothies were better than the pack of Marlboro’s I craved.

When I had a book deal in jeopardy, I knew just the person to call to give me straight up strategic counsel, and that if I dropped everything that afternoon and went to my favorite beach, the right answer would come to me.

Life throws you a curve ball…. Your dog dies… The relationship isn’t working and you can’t deny it… You got canned…. A surprise diagnosis… The tough meeting that it’s time to have… These are all things that you can handle.

You can rise to the occasion after you remember what you’re made of — but you need those reminders.

The thing about being afraid or in crisis mode is that we can get so spun out that we forget where the emergency exit or the rip-cord is. Where’s your bridge over troubled water? Who ya gonna call? How do you spell relief? Lunch with your best friend, a visit to church, a call with your mastermind group, a few laps in the pool, silence?

KNOW YOUR “COMFORTING” ZONE

Make a list of your soul vitamins so you can mentally, or literally, refer to it when the going gets rougher than tough. This will serve as your go-to list, your secret stash of pick-me-up’s, your 911 Life Operator.

Answer these questions for yourself — now — before the curve ball hits.

1. INSTANT AWESOME FEEL GOODS: “When I do the following, I am guaranteed to feel close to 100 percent improved, lighter, and focused…”

2. MODERATELY HELPFUL: “When I do the following, I will likely feel a sense of relief or improvement…

As for downing a carton of cookie dough ice cream, drunk-dialing your former flame, sneaking a smoke in the airplane bathroom, watching Gene Simmons Family Jewels reruns instead of going to yoga class, and all manners of vengeful vandalism . . . let’s put that “comfort list” in its place. Answer this for yourself:

3. TEMPTING, BUT NO. REALLY…NO.: “Even though I might think that doing the following things will bring me relief and comfort, they actually aren’t helpful at all…”

So much of being resilient is about having good emotional reserves. You just need to remember what fills you up when you need it the most.

Editor’s Note:

danielle laport bookWhen it comes to business advice, one of the few people I trust and learn from is Danielle LaPorte. She is an intuitive genius and (to me) the goddess of prosperity.

Danielle did to my business like what Eckhart Tolle did to my soul. And that’s a big statement.

Last year, I did a one-on-one consulting session with her, and it marked a pivotal point in my business’ growth. The clarity and confidence I gained from that experience allowed my business to grow twenty-fold. I am deeply thankful to her.

Her new book—The Fire Starter Sessions—is just divine. It’s not your typical self-help book. Not only is it beautifully designed (Make sure to get a physical copy instead of kindle to get the full experience), it is immensely practical, action-able and inspiring.

Whether you are an entrepreneur or not, you will find incredible value and juicy ideas all throughout it. And if that’s not enough, the book is based on a digital product that used to sell for $150 but is no longer available. The book will ignite you into action, and before you know it, your life will be changed for the better. Be sure to get a copy here. Really.

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About the author

Danielle LaPorte is the author of the forthcoming book The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide for Creating Success on Your Own Terms (from Random House/Crown). An inspirational speaker, former think tank exec and business strategist. Over a million visitors have gone for her straight-up advice on DanielleLaPorte.com. Based in Vancouver, BC, you can find her on Facebook and on Twitter @daniellelaporte

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65 thoughts on Facing Challenges

  1. Patti

    Always go back to the simple things – take a walk, turn on music, play the piano. Focus on a small item and refresh and reorganize.

  2. Amy

    Love this. Often in stressful times, I zone out in front of the tv or something and its not until hours later that I realize “oh, i should have gone for a WALK! that always makes me feel at least a little better right away instead of zoning out.”. Will make my list now :)

  3. …the beach/ocean or any bit of nature where I can be alone or just me and my sweet husband. :) This book sounds interesting…

  4. Leslie

    Sitting quietly outside helps me. I just sit and watch the birds, butterflies and plants swaying in the breeze. It always has a calming affect on me.

  5. Jodie

    Taking a nap is my comfort zone.

  6. Great tips! The book sounds like a great read, count me in, I’d love to win!

  7. Shyam Sundararaman

    Running, Writing and catching up on unread posts on my RSS reader are the three activities that put me in my comfort zone.

  8. Allegra

    Diving into a good book helps soothe my worried mind….

  9. Judy Ferrari

    What activity puts you in your comfort zone?
    My “instant awesome feel goods:
    Reading always soothes my soul, but sometimes, when I really need to get away from what is happening on my life, all I need to do is ask a friend to lend me a book. While reading it, I also think about her/his reason not only for giving me that specific book, but also their personal reason to buy it on the first place. Yes, I know, I’m just diverting attention, but sometimes, all I (and you, too) need is exactly that: time. Pardon my grammar, obviously English is my second language. :D

  10. Olivia Chu

    Awesome article!

    When I need to get into a comfort zone after something’s bad happened I normally allow myself a weekend of guilt free video gaming. I LOVE video games, of all types so much, but I don’t play often or at all because I have the mindset that I need to work hard and develop some awesome skills before I can really play.

  11. Kim

    Thanks for this awesome post! I tend towards watching tv and eating junk in stressful times, but am working to change these habits!

    My No. 1 way of getting back into my comfort zone is to sit comfortably somewhere with a good view of the sky and watch the clouds. It is difficult to get caught up in my own minor issues when trying to follow the complexities of those ever-changing forms!

  12. Kim

    Thanks for the great post! I usually find myself watching tv and eating junk in stressful times, but I am working on that!

    The one thing that really helps put me back in my comfort zone is sitting comfortably somewhere with a good view of the sky and watching the clouds. It is hard to be stressed about my minor issues while following the complexities of their ever-changing forms!

  13. Unknowingly, my Pinterest boards have become my comforting zone. Someone recently asked how and why I use Pinterest. After re-arranging my boards, I realized that the images I pin there represent my vision, my true self, things I love, things I have, things that I want to attract into my life. It’s my modernist self, my vintage self, my steampunk self, my present self. It’s the photos I wish I took, the photos I hope to take in the future. There’s no complaining about the wrongs in the world on my boards. Just sharing of the things I believe are beautiful in the world – inside and out.

    Thank you Danielle and Tina for this post. A great reminder about comforting zones that inspire and re-energize.

  14. Justine Thompson

    When I get caught in the chaotic whirlwind of life, i find myself cleaning and organizing. It may sound strange, but it is soothing. Putting all the little pieces back in their place helps restores my balance.

  15. Adity

    Thanks Danielle for another wonderful writing.

    I love dancing- dancing on my upbeat music puts me in my best clear mind zone…I love that feeling– nothing is blocked-everything is clear…

  16. Danielle, thanks so much for the insightful tips on finding our “comforting zone”. I saw you at WDS last year, and what a transformational presentation on how we must put more time in planning how we should feel in our life, and then align our goals to that.

    What I do that makes me feel comfortable is just going out for a run for an hour. It’s a meditative act that clears my mind, and opens up the imagination center of my mind so that I can realize the possibilities in my life.

    After a run, it feels like I am ready to conquer the world!

  17. Bob

    Wow, I just love the concept of soul vitamins.
    Ok, here’s my secret simple soul vitamin:
    Shut the door. Close the windows. Turn on the music. And dance like I’m out of my mind. Rest assured, it looks incredibly silly, and I’d be very embarassed if others would see me moving in those… well… “creative” ways ;-) BUT: It does the job of turning my emotional state upside down within 5 minutes max.

  18. Writing puts me in my comfort zone! Thanks for the opportunity to win the giveaway.

  19. xiaomin Yu

    Love this article! Reading something uplifting (like TSN), or visualizing desired feeling of future events, or go out for a walk usually instantly make me feel better.

  20. Thank you for sharing the greatness, Tina. What puts me in the comfort zone,’ – the wind with the smell of rain blowing through me, my spirit, my soul, a beautiful sky of orange and blue, and a fullness in the air, and finally that moment when it all breaks and it rains. I come alive’.
    God bless

  21. Walking the dog every evening gives me a chance to think about everything and nothing at the same time. Its also helps me get out of work mode and into home mode so I can be present and relaxed and enjoy spending time with my family.

  22. Danielle

    Thank you thank you thank you! I went through this, just this morning! I was in a funk and texted my situation to my tribe (two unconditional girlfriends). We reach out for mirroring and support, not to expect to be rescued. We had made agreements for code words that were loaded with positive intent. Words/sayings that we trusted and would remind us of our truth and faith in the power of the present, and ourselves. “Pivot” is one of these words. So, in addition to mentioning my funk and the alleged (because I know EVERYTHING about my conscious and subconscious behavior and thoughts, right?) reasons for it, I also included the “pivot”al solution to help myself out of it…

    …my activity that puts me back in my comfort zone? Smiling at others, genuinely, and receiving an authentic smile and greeting in return. I’m detached from any type of return, but am most often pleasantly reminded of how a smile from a stranger surprises others!

    I see it as a way to interact and remind myself that a smile exchanged is healing for all involved, and usually, it will be passed along and compounded. My funk? No more… it trickles in here and there, but I recall my exchange of smiles and the looks on their face as they received and gave, and it dissipates that trickle and replaces it with faith that all is well. Times change, things pass.

    One friend texted, sharing that my smile is magical and how it charges her batteries. The other called to say she literally felt warmth in her recollecting how my smile made her feel.

    :o))))))))))))))

    Thank you! I’m so looking forward to the book. The three tips alone are so simple, and yet monumental!!! Instant, moderate, and tempting… so true!!! To have a go-to-list is brilliant! And asking those who love us to support us in this rewiring, and offering this go-to-list for their referral in their supporting us. I’m making this list straight away, and I’ll definitely be paying attention to I how choose to comfort myself!

  23. polona

    reading, trying new things such as learning to play modern song on piano, snowboarding.. :)

  24. Yasemin

    Activities that put me in my comfort zone are ones I do because I truly love myself. Like, taking myself for a run and getting out my nervous energy that way (versus going crazy on sugar), cleaning up my diet, stretching to relaxing music, singing, crying, reading motivational articles (such as this one!).
    I’ve found changing your body, your posture, has incredible power when you feel stuck in a hopeless situation. Dancing crazy to hard core or sexy music really makes me feel empowered to tackle the next challenge ;)

  25. Joy

    Running (the feeling afterwards)
    A good book.
    Reggae music.
    Listening to Eckhart Tolle talk, weird but true.

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