When life crushes you: 3 strategies for overcoming adversity

Life changed forever for John F. Nichols, MSM, CLU, in 1993 when he broke his neck during a water skiing accident. It left him unable to control movements from his neck to his toes.John Nichols at the MDRT Experience

Nichols, an 18-year MDRT member from Chicago, Illinois, was crushed. His challenges seemed insurmountable. Although doctors told him he wouldn’t walk again, he wanted to try. During the next six years, he began to rebuild his body and regained about 70 percent of his functioning. In 2009, Nichols ran the Chicago Marathon.

Nichols said the mental challenges of handling his disabilities during his recovery were more difficult than the physical ones. He couldn’t work and he struggled just to get through the day. Eventually, he found these three strategies for overcoming adversities.

These favorite strategies helped him become an expert in disability insurance and took him to MDRT and Top of the Table, succeeding beyond his wildest dreams. These strategies work no matter what type of adversity you face, Nichols said, “but they only work if you do.”

1) My race, my pace
Accept who you are and where you are. You have value and you matter. “Adversity can chip away who you are,” said Nichols from the Main Platform at the 2018 MDRT Experience and Global Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Don’t compare yourself to others; instead, look at how far you’ve come in your own race.

2) Thought zapper
Don’t let the excuses win. When excuses show up, Nichols snaps the rubber band he always wears on his wrist and “zaps” the excuses.

3) Focus on daily victories
Make sure you reinforce your positive energy, and work daily on your long-term goals.

Nichols talks more about his experiences overcoming adversity in the MDRT Experience video “Overcoming adversity.” Watch more videos from the MDRT Experience.

Written by Antoinette Tuscano, MDRT Content Specialist

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