One of the most important lessons in business, and in life, is that out of adversity comes opportunity, and from opportunity comes growth.  Rosemarie Rossetti, an inspirational speaker and trainer, learned this lesson 1998.  She was riding her bicycle with her husband, Mark, when a three-and-a-half ton tree snapped and fell on her, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down.  Her latest contributions in Mission Possible! Volume Three outline the characteristics necessary to turn such a tragedy into an inspiration.

Have tenacity.  Rossetti attributes her strength to a resilient human spirit and a bulldog determination.  Crises only seem to be crises in the present.  Soon afterward, you simply see them as history, a lesson learned.  Each new crisis you face will soon be history.  Tough times do not endure, only tough people do. 
 
Change your thinking.  When Rossetti first saw the wheelchair, she could only see the negative stigma associated with the inability to walk.  Eventually, she just saw the chair as a replacement for her legs.  When confronted with situations beyond our control, we tend to dwell in the self-pity of knowing that we cannot change something affecting our lives.  We don't have control over the events in our lives, but we do have control over the way we respond to the events.  Rossetti also suggests not to let your negative thoughts snowball; although parts of a day may be bad, that does not mean it is a bad day altogether. 

Challenge yourself and those around you.  Part of applying tenacity to your everyday activities is to set goals.  Regardless of how insignificant these goals may seem, every one pushes you to strive for something greater.  When Rossetti was in physical therapy, she would challenge herself to learn something new every day, and then apply it to her normal activities.  As a result, many of her capabilities were restored as she pushed to acquire new skills.

Surround yourself with positive influences.  Having the encouragement of others can help you through adversity.  When going through tough times, only keep the company of supportive individuals to encourage you.  Negative people will only dissuade you from achieving your goals.  After her accident, Rossetti was supported both mentally and physically by positive influences including her husband and staff at physical rehabilitation centers.  Knowing that these people had a vested interest in her success impacted Rossetti's mental drive.

Never consider anything to be impossible.  Rossetti's motto is "the impossible just may be possible."  If you have enough faith and conviction, you can get through tough situations.  Rossetti has regained many of the activities she thought impossible after her tragedy.  She still dances with her husband, rides a bicycle, plays tennis, and drives a specially-designed van.  Rossetti's accident has also created wonderful opportunities that were not possible before.  She has modified the nature of her lectures to be inspirational and in January she carried the Olympic torch.  She was even a contestant in the Ms. Wheelchair America Ohio pageant. 

BizSmart's Action plan:

• Put all your tenacity forward.
  
• If you cannot change something, change the way you think about it.
  
• Challenge yourself and set goals to achieve.
  
• Surround yourself with supportive individuals and encourage others yourself.
  
• Realize that all adverse situations present an opportunity for growth.