At a workshop we produced a few years ago, I met a young woman named Vasanti.
I asked Vasanti to tell us her story of overcomingadversityand how it turned into her superpower.
Vasanti shared a story about growing up in India.
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So, Vasanti enrolled in a program to become a coder.
But she wasnt the best coder in school.
One teacher even bullied her for her limited skills in front of her peers.
Her teachers words embarrassed her, as they would many of us.
Worse, they made her feel that shed never succeed, no matter how hard she tried.
She was ready to change her career path altogether.
But she decided to give herself one more chance and teach herself to code.
Eventually, she found a computer programming job in the United States.
Vasanti, it sounds like you like rising up to meet challenges, I told her.
She teared up in a room full of her peers.
It sounds like youre a good self-starter.
It sounds like youre a lifelong learner, I said.
Her eyes welled up again.
I love figuring out ways I can succeed.
Vasanti, look around.
I think a lot of people love this value of yours.
Ryan, one of her teammates, was writing too.
Ryan, what are you jotting down right now?
Im listing out new assignments that I can give to Vasanti.
She nodded, and I could see how proud she was.
Vasantis story demonstrates that we can acknowledge past moments of adversity and turn them into our strengths.
The bullying she experienced helped her become a self-starter who rises up to meet challenges.
As Kathleen described to me when hearing about Vasantis story, Vasanti:
1.
Identified where she wanted to break through.
Declared the action she was going to take.
Whats an obstacle youve had to overcome?
you’re free to set a five-minute timer and encourage them to think deeply.
Each story is raw and real and vulnerable, and each one helps people remember an important truth.
When they dive back into that story, they remember that they once overcame a great period of adversity.
From there, reconvene and debrief, giving people the opportunity to share with the group as a whole.
Then, ask them to ponder another set of questions:
1.
What new superpowers have you developed because of your story?
How has what you experienced in the past equipped you to meet the challenges of the future?
How will you use your superpowers to support your team?
This step is important because it helps them realize that a negative past experience equips them with certain benefits.
Finish the story by saying …and Im so grateful this occurred in my life.
