Cynthia M. Martínez
Creator of My Barely Famous Life and Founder Lead Up Labs

Life happens... I say that a lot in my lectures! Wherever I stop to speak I always start with: “Life happens, pain is mandatory, but suffering is completely optional.” I always feel the urgency to talk about this topic when things are good so that when times like these come you have the tools to not give up. We all agree that we do not control many things, but we do control our attitude in the face of adversity, especially in extreme situations like those left by Hurricane Fiona. Today I want to give you 3 strategies to be a leader when adversity clouds our focus and I put them into practice in my daily life when I face difficult situations:

Change your internal dialogue: It is easy to fall into the trap of anxiety, you fall into endless thinking of worries. Make sure the words you use when talking to others are constructive and create the habit of having optimistic internal conversations. At first you may feel uncomfortable believing that it doesn't work, but I can assure you from my own experience that speaking to yourself in an optimistic way helps you increase your security and feeds your self-esteem.

Acceptance and not denial: We must be realistic to be able to face life with the correct tools. Being realistic does not make you less optimistic, but rather makes you capable of being effective in facing a problem and achieving long-term solutions.

Focus on the present: You are calm and at the moment your mind escapes to think about the future and begins to create terrifying scenarios, which brings with it horrible feelings to your heart and leaves you with a horrendous taste for things that have not happened. This is called affective forecasting and most of the time you are incorrect in the final result. Don't waste your time or get drained by things that don't exist. Live in the moment and work on getting through this moment one day at a time.

It is challenging to think that the problem you are facing will pass and that you will emerge victorious in the face of adversity. You are right, just thoughts will not get you through it. Take intentional action, a results-oriented attitude and the willingness to grow in the face of the situations that life offers. You are more than enough to face every situation, identify a plan and tell the world “I will not give up.”

About the Author:

Cynthia M. Martinez is a rebel with a cause, entrepreneur, and life and business strategist with a specialty in leadership and innovation. As part of her extensive trajectory as a strategist, she has been developing leaders in the field of direct sales, market opening, and consulting at the corporate and SME levels for more than a decade. She is the creator of the social media movement in a blog format called "My barely famous life" in which she equips followers with leadership and technology tools through her educational program. She is also the founder of Lead Up Labs, a digital platform that has all the tangible and digital tools for participants to increase their productivity and achieve their goals.