Hard Times

Let’s create space for a hard time. A friend of mine is struggling through a hard time. When I wished things were easier for them, they said:

Don’t wish for easy. Hard makes us great.

My friend is reminding me how important hard times are for our growth and development. 

This week has been especially hard for our Being Valued Team. We are in the middle of a vital push to complete big projects and a major event. Computer glitches added a new degree of difficulty. 

Figure it out.

We all need extra time and space during hard times.

At one point, I feared I was torturing the newest member of our team. I gave them a complex assignment with only one instruction:

Figure it out.

They persevered and got it done despite major roadblocks. At the end, they said to me:

I learned a lot.

Suddenly, I didn’t feel so guilty. They found a new level of confidence and competence. 

Inspired by my friend and co-workers, I have fully embraced this hard time. But first, I created the space.

Hard times demand extra time and space. 

Hard times and complex problems are not solved in 30-minute meetings and regular routines. I canceled everything normally scheduled on our calendars.

Space to fail is how we get the really hard things done. We schedule less and explore more. We devote more time to courageous conversations and quiet reflection. 

When EVERYTHING is hard, we create the space to figure it out. We remember:

Hard is why people hire our team. Hard makes us great.

Hard is one way we grow our gifts. Thankfully, it is not the only way. Hard doesn’t last long when we are willing to learn from our struggles and rise to a new new level of competence.

Let’s create extra time and space for the hard times. Greatness awaits.