Sara Orellana
By Sara Orellana
Challenges, problems and roadblocks at work can make me feel overwhelmed, and sometimes question decisions I have made. I mean, if I was where I was supposed to be, working in the field I was destined to find, or following my passion, I wouldn’t be facing so many challenges. Right?
Unfortunately, life is not fair. And more often than not downright mean. Knowing this and choosing to maintain a positive attitude is challenging but will open your mind to countless opportunities.
Learning to see the positive in a negative situation is difficult. The last summer I ran a summer camp, I encountered more challenges than any other summer. It was our largest camp yet, and I was more prepared than ever. For most of my staff, this was our fourth summer. We were all tired and ready for camp to end. Yet, we were staring at seven long weeks of working in the heat.
That May and June, we had more rain than normal, and the last rainstorm brought more than we expected. After three weeks of being stuck inside with more than 300 children, we were all at our breaking point. With all of our tricks and tools used, we watched the rain pour down and wondered how we would continue. As fate would have it, that last rainstorm flooded portions of main roads. No one was hurt, but the flooding meant our camp was closed for two days.
As my staff and I met at camp to see if we had any damage and did a deep cleaning, I realized how much we needed this time with no campers. I challenged my staff to work fast. I promised them once we were done, we would leave and enjoy a long weekend. As I walked the halls, fixing random items, I heard laughter and music coming from rooms. I saw my staff coming together and bonding in ways they never would have been able to without these days.
Oddly enough, that summer was our best summer. It started a little rough but what could have been a challenge that tore my staff apart. Instead. it brought us closer together and made us appreciate each other and the time we had with the campers. Looking back, I didn’t know at the time that it would be my last summer.
Choosing to find the positive aspects of each challenge left me with memories I cherish.
When you encounter a challenge, give yourself a minute to feel the emotions. Embrace them. Feeling emotions isn’t bad. Feeling them, taking the time to sit with them, enables us to process them in a healthy way. Then take a break, drink some water, go for a walk and then take a minute to be grateful. I promise you, in doing this, positive solutions will present themselves.
Sara Orellana is an independent entrepreneur who specializes in strategic planning, leadership and grant writing. She can be reached at sara@3raptorconsulting.com.