The Key to “Unsolvable” Challenges
Some things can’t be changed.
They’ve either already happened or they’re immovable, immutable things. Maybe there’s something about yourself, your situation or your history that you’re convinced makes your true aspiration a seeming impossibility. And when challenges look unsolvable, that probably stops you from taking steps towards them, right?
There’s a key to overcoming “unsolvable” challenges. A key that might not only help you hit your goal, but blow through it to accomplish something bigger.
Do you remember William Hung, the American Idol phenomenon? He famously butchered Ricky Martin’s, “She Bangs”, so badly that it went viral on the world stage. It’s cringe worthy and worth the watch if you haven’t already been so lucky to see it. The negative reviews of his performance were nearly instantaneous. This might obviously be seen as a major setback and ultimately an end to William’s singing career aspirations because it’s unchangeable — he can’t go back to redo it or somehow alter the past. But it wasn’t. It was just the beginning.
I was lucky enough to meet William and spend some time with him during my Ted Talk in Southern CA a few years back. And he has become someone that I really like and respect. That kind of negative attention would make most anyone want to crawl into a hole, never to be heard from again. The humiliation, embarrassment or rejection would just be too much. Not for William.
He used the key to “unsolvable” challenges and something we all can use when faced with something that cannot be changed. He owned it. He owned it so much that it started to look like he wanted it to go that way. Instead of viewing it as a problem or weakness, he turned it into a strength.
He didn’t hide from the public sphere, he embraced it. William capitalized on his American Idol appearance by accepting invites to appear on talk shows around the world. He released his own record, of course including his rendition of “She Bangs”. And with all the fanfare, he even got the chance to perform live with Ricky Martin himself! He turned that potentially negative thing into the very reason he was successful by owning it.
Owning it works and there are countless examples and stories about how owning a situation or circumstance can be used to Flip It from a negative to a positive life advantage.
Sylvester Stallone owned the damaged nerves in the lower part of his face, which resulted in slurred speech and a curled lip, by turning those characteristics into an iconic character in his movies. You can’t even imagine Rocky Balboa without those traits. Steve Jobs owned Apple’s niche of being the underdog by leading them to “think different”. Or, Kim Kardashian owning a potentially embarrassing sex tape into a rocket ship to fame and fortune.
There’s no “one way” to own your unchangeable challenges, as each is unique. I invite you to share any seemingly unsolvable challenges you might be dealing with in the #NoMatterWhat Facebook Community and we’ll help you brainstorm how to Flip It. There’s strength in every weakness, if you take the time to find it.
I’m all for solving any problems with innovation, creative thinking and change management. But sometimes things just are what they are and owning those things is the only way out. It might just be what turns the unsolvable challenge into the very reason for your success.