Silver Lining: Find The Hidden Opportunities in Your Setbacks (Motivation)

“You can find a silver lining in unexpected, unwanted, and unwelcome situations. Always look for the silver lining and even when it seems impossible to find, you’ll find it if you really look for it. If you look for the good in even really bad situations, you are demonstrating an ability to be an example for others. Leadership is about looking for the silver lining in a challenging situation.” – Jeff Davis

You got to know me a little bit when I talked about that unexpected setback I had while in high school. I was excited to go to college, but I psychologically limped into college life with a lot of insecurities because my senior year of high school turned out so poorly.

McDaniel College was the perfect stepping stone at the time I needed it most. I grew and evolved, met awesome people, and once again opened up to the possibilities life has to offer. It definitely didn’t happen all at once and my freshman and sophomore year of college had shaky days, weeks, and even months as I slowly grew out of my doubtful ways. But, regardless of the roadblocks, the general trend of my life was onwards and upwards. Senior year of college was awesome, and I landed a good job in a difficult economy.

In October of 2015, I returned to McDaniel College for Homecoming. It was my first homecoming in about three years, after doing lots of speaking around the world and publishing my first book. On Saturday morning I went to a wonderful dedication ceremony of the new fountain on campus and then afterward I went to the GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) brunch. It was there I bumped into Warren, one of my friends from college. Warren is a leader, firmly grounded in his values and a source of kindness to all who know him.

I had some good friends from college, but because I spontaneously decided to go to this Homecoming I didn’t have any set plans (this is my way of traveling), so bumping into Warren was perfect. We also recently reconnected on Facebook, so it was good timing.

“You’ve done a lot,” Warren said, “and have really come a long way since college.”

We talked about our lives since college and what we’ve been up to. I filled Warren in on some of my travels around the world as well as various keynote speaking engagements. Warren does an incredible job of showing genuine interest in others, a key quality of becoming successful.

After catching up at the brunch, we continued chatting on our way to the football field where the big game was happening. During the game we parted ways for a bit, to see our respective friends. I saw some of my friends from college and also hung out with a really great group of people from Philadelphia I met the night before, alumni who graduated about seven years before I did.

At the end of homecoming, while I was sitting down in a serene moment of reflection while people were clearing out, Warren came up to me again and saw the glimmer in my eye.

This was a magical moment because I’d come so far – I say this as genuinely and sincerely as possible – and after years of so many temporary setbacks, defeats, anxieties, and failures, I’d made a comeback and was now at peace.

“We’re already at the Mountaintop,” Warren said, “and don’t even realize it. We’re already there.”

Warren knows about the idea of reaching your Mountaintop because he has been following my adventures on Facebook and Instagram, where I often talk about this powerful concept.

“Yes,” I said, “yes, my friend. Very well said. We are already there.”

We looked up to the sun – the beautiful sun searing into a late afternoon, mid-October sky – and we both smiled.

“Life comes full circle,” I said to Warren, “and even the most unfair and unexpected of circumstances have a way of working themselves out.”

See you at The Mountaintop.

Questions for Reflection

1. How can you create a happy ending for yourself? What is the ideal outcome of the challenge, setback, difficulty, and/ or unwanted event you are experiencing? What is the silver lining?
2. Who are some people you could surround yourself with that make you feel like a million bucks and like anything is possible?
3. What do you want to be said about you in your epitaph at your funeral? What do you want to be written on your tombstone? How do you want to be remembered? What legacy do you want to leave? How can you begin leaving this legacy starting today?

This is the epilogue of the award-winning book, Reach Your Mountaintop: 10 Keys to Finding the Hidden Opportunity in Your Setbacks, Flipping What You’ve Heard on Its Head, and Achieving Legendary Goals.