Inspiration often lies closer than we realize—sometimes, it’s hidden within ourselves. Nothing beats self-motivation, eh? Like a game on Plinko, life is unpredictable. It throws challenges our way. We must navigate them.
One of my bosses had a great trick to boost self-motivation. Whenever we had a bad day, he’d ask us to recall a tough time we overcame successfully. He’d make us describe it in detail, and by the end, we’d feel energized and ready to take on the world.
His favorite saying stuck with me: tough times are temporary. But, resilient people endure. Today, this habit keeps me going. Whenever life gets hard, I think of moments I’ve conquered before, and it restores my faith in myself.
I’m grateful to two bosses: one who inspired me and one who left me to figure things out. Both taught me invaluable lessons!
Inspiring Stories – Stronger Than I Thought
It feels like a lifetime ago, but I once worked under a boss who was noticeably absent when things got tough. It always baffled me, especially since he was genuinely kind-hearted. But in sales, especially office automation, the competition was fierce. Only the fittest survived. While kindness had its place, it wasn’t exactly a top priority in the cutthroat world we worked in.
The long-awaited committee meeting day was finally here. It was a critical moment. Today, they would decide who would secure the deal. Despite knowing I had done my best, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of nervous energy. My competitors and I waited in the lounge, bracing ourselves for the make-or-break Q&A session.
As expected, my boss, who was supposed to accompany me to the meeting, was nowhere to be found. I could sense my colleagues’ pity for me. As ridiculous as it sounds, most clients did not take women salespeople seriously. They expected them to be accompanied by a male boss. The challenge ahead was clear, and I had to rise to the occasion. As the saying goes, perseverance always pays off.
So we waited. I was alone. The others were present in teams. Strangely, I did not feel intimidated. I think my mind had already come to terms with the situation and prepared me to handle it.
Half an hour later, the gentleman came out again and asked me to go with him to his room. Sitting across from him, I watched as he carefully reviewed the documents in his file. Then, he looked up with a warm smile. “Congratulations,” he said. I turned the file to read what he was looking at. To my shock, they had decided to order more from my organization. My eyes welled up, making it hard to focus on the words in front of me.
- I looked at him with tear-filled eyes and expressed my heartfelt gratitude.
- The order wasn’t won because we had the lowest prices.
- It wasn’t because our products were superior.
- It wasn’t even because of any extraordinary cleverness on my part.
- I earned the order by fostering and nurturing a strong relationship with the client.
- I secured the order because I stayed persistent and refused to back down.
- Because I was honest.
- I succeeded because I stayed genuine and avoided making promises I couldn’t keep.
- Because I proved that we would follow up and respond promptly.
To my boss, for not being there. Had he been there, I would have missed the chance to tackle a difficult situation on my own and emerge stronger. That experience strengthened me and boosted my self-belief like nothing else could.
- I decided to learn Spanish since I was visiting the organization three evenings a week to meet the dean. It seemed like a good use of time, and it even amused the dean, who headed the French department!
- For making several lifelong friends.
- For a raise and a transfer to another branch to handle major accounts. This order was a big achievement.
- For my colleagues’ overnight respect. They found it funny that I got the toughest clients, where the company had no presence.
Even my competitors gained respect for me—one of them even referred me to one of their clients.
- It gave me the confidence to take on bigger clients, which eventually became my area of expertise.
- It taught me the value of patience and the importance of staying calm under pressure.
- For making me believe in myself.
- By not being there that day, my boss unknowingly gave me one of the greatest lessons of my life.
Truly, tough times are learning experiences. This was a learning opportunity, and only I could decide to grow from it.
Today, I believe that everything is possible.
Final Thoughts
Remember, you are stronger than you think. They are tests of our inner strength. By embracing tough times and believing in ourselves, we can grow. We can turn setbacks into success. Remember, always stronger than you think.
