Adversity breeds strength

How do you stay motivated and productive when times are tough and customers seem to be clutching every penny in fear of economic uncertainty? By remembering that every challenge, setback, and personal difficulty you encounter in life also brings with it the seeds of greater strength.

In the early years of World War II, Nazi submarines roamed the frigid waters of the North Atlantic, sinking an alarming number of British military and merchant ships. Hitler planned to blockade England and starve the British into submission. In the summer of 1940, while the Battle of Britain raged over London, the Germans sank more than 300 British ships. In an effort to reduce the appalling number of naval casualties, Churchill instructed the British Royal Navy to study what, if anything, could be done to save lives at sea.

While interviewing the survivors of these attacks, an unexpected discovery was made. To their astonishment, researchers discovered that the survival rate for the younger, presumably more physically fit sailors was lower than that of their older shipmates. The study concluded that the older sailors had a higher survival rate due to the fact that they had more life experience in overcoming adversity. Their confidence that rescue would come was greater than the younger, less experienced sailors, and they persevered.