by John Mariotti

A week or two ago I wrote about the” dip.” At that point in your journey, you are trying to decide if you should stay or go, continue or quit. Knowing you are in the “dip” is half the battle. Knowing what that process is will help you decide what your best path forward should be. Most of us will realize we are in the “dip” and continue. What comes next?

The dark night of the soul. You saw the dip and decided to continue. After that decision things look up and your path begins to glide along. There is yet another pitfall waiting. This is where the second-guessing comes in. This is where you start to question all your life choices. This is where the darkness comes crashing down in a smothering blanket.

This is the nadir, the abyss, the rock bottom. Nothing is working, everything feels wrong and broken, and there seems to be no way out. At this point, quitting feels like the only way out.

At this point, it’s time to step back and be disengaged. Is quitting really the only path? What are the ramifications? What’s the worst that can happen if you continue or quit? What’s the likely outcome of both of those things? This is the neutral position. Look at it as dispassionately as possible. Take out your emotions and personal biases. Look at it as cold as possible. The way forward is really the only way. It becomes a question of which path you will take.

After rock bottom, the only way left is up. See you in Birmingham.