Have you ever thought you were late bloomer? What about an early bloomer? What if we could always be blooming, expanding, and growing?
When you think about someone performing well in their life or work, the best conditions come to mind. Their lives are surrounded by supportive people and great circumstances. But you know that’s rarely the case. Life is messy. We often hear about people who’ve successfully deflected pain with a focus on purpose and draw inspiration from these stories.
If you’re familiar with the author and comedian who goes by the name Michael Jr., you know he calls himself a comedic thought leader. His sketches on stage and in his books are rooted in what he calls information, conflict, curiosity, and revelation. A question he likes to ask from the mic is “What if your present conflicts that come from your past are preparation for your future?”
Your past prepares you for your future
Michael Jr.’s question stems from his experience as a youth when he was placed in a special-education class but he didn’t believe that he belonged there. The class experience and the reaction of his fickle friends helped him develop skills that later fueled his success as an adult.
His special-education class—a situation he initially saw as a setback—became an unexpected advantage. It taught him to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds, a skill that’s now central to his career.
Aren’t we all a product of the coping skills we develop in response to the pain we experience? Always learning how to cope when coping is required? It’s hard to remember day-to-day life when it’s easy; in contrast, those failures, challenges, and gut-wrenching memories are seared in our brains. Our minds won’t let us forget, yet Michael Jr. encourages us to try identifying a past setback and reflect on how it has equipped us with unique skills or perspectives.
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Pain as a launchpad for purpose
Michael Jr.’s nonprofit, Funny for the Forgotten, takes comedy to places like prisons and homeless shelters. This mission was inspired by his own struggles with self-esteem and rejection.
By turning his pain into purpose, he’s able to help others find joy and healing. Rather than leave your conflicts or pain in your wake, consider swimming with the flow and using your challenges to make a difference in someone else’s life.
Reframing challenges through curiosity
Michael Jr. explains how curiosity led him to recognize patterns in his life that he could use to help others. For example, when working with couples, he views conflicts as punch lines—problems that, when reframed, reveal valuable lessons.
In the spirit of Michael Jr.’s lens, look at your challenges as punch lines. Much like a comedian sets up a story for his or her punch line, consider your setup. How can you reframe your story so that your learning moment (punch line) has greater meaning?
Rather than regret his painful memory of being demoted academically, Michael Jr. chooses to focus on recasting the story setup to reveal what he ultimately gained: the ability to keep blooming whenever he finds himself in a challenging situation.
Instead of defining yourself by one phase—a late or early bloomer—always look for purpose in your pain and reframe your challenges through curiosity. If you can continually find meaningful punch lines by reframing your story, you’ll find that your setbacks have an upside. If you’re like Michael Jr., they might even be funny.
