Sometimes you meet someone and, there is a connection based on the lessons life has taught you. Ken Cheadle and I are discussing a few of those lessons, namely grief and adversity. How we engage these in our lives can make or break us.
Ken Cheadle is no stranger to adversity or grief. Growing up in the urban core of Kansas City, MO, Ken grew up with many things against him. At the age of 14, he forged his birth certificate to get a job at McDonald's. After the unexpected passing of his father, Ken found himself the man of the household and felt the weight of providing for his mother and three sisters. Unable to process the grief and circumstances life was throwing at him, he found himself in and out of prison until he enlisted in the military and began to have his mindset of what was available to him challenged.
Your belief systems will keep you trapped in cycles and prevent you from breaking out and experiencing growth. Once you can break free of those limiting beliefs, you will be surprised at what you are capable of.
Whether dealing with adversity or grief, it is important to recognize and acknowledge your feelings. Embrace and explore them; don’t deny them. Figure out where you are so you can find your way past them. Our experiences have the potential to shape and grow us into something beautiful.
When it comes to processing grief, it can be easy to seek to self-medicate with substances or spending or whatever numbs the pain. But you have to ask yourself this – would those I mourn want me to spend my life copping in this way? Take time, grieve and get back to being you. Prepare now and make wise choices such as a life insurance policy and a will. Help give those who will mourn and grieve you the space to do so.
There are two certainties in life. Hard and easy. Do what is hard now and make it easier for yourself in the future, or do what is easy now and endure the hardship down the road. You can't avoid the hard, but you do get to chose if you are proactive or reactive to it.
If you can take anything away from Ken and apply it immediately, it is this: Go look in the mirror and acknowledge yourself. Acknowledge the value you bring to the world and those around you. It’s not about being big-headed; it's talking stock in yourself.
Rise. Shine. Impact. Acknowledge and value yourself.
Resources
Millennial Takeover: A Clear Roadmap to Identifying Your Purpose, Enhancing your Skills and Building a Satisfying Career and Life by Kenneth Cheadle
Connect with Ken
Website: https://www.kennethcheadle.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kennethcheadle
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KCNewMan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennethcheadle
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethcheadle/
Connect with John:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnwalsh_standout
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrwalshjr
Twitter - https://twitter.com/johnwstandout
