We all experience obstacles, setbacks, disappointment, embarrassing moments, failure, and stagnancy. Even if it feels like the end of the world, there’s always another route you can take. In a recent Inc. article, BigSpeak EVP Ken Sterling shares some of his most difficult life experiences from getting kicked out of high school, to being homeless, and offers three ways he changed his mindset to overcome them. Read on for the full article on Inc. 

Previously published on Inc.

Are you encountering turbulence in your life or career path? I’ve had my share of bumps and setbacks, weathering a lot of turbulence. I’ve gone from homeless to a homeowner, jobless to executive, McDonald’s cashier to owner and partner in several businesses. And not to mention, going from a high school “kick-out” to earning multiple degrees, including an MA, an MBA, and heck, why not, even a PhD. 

Yes, it’s true. Over time, I’ve squandered many opportunities and had several missed chances. I’ve also hit some major blocks and turbulence. However, I’ve always managed to bounce back and keep going–through my mindset, I’m not at a dead end.

Here are three tips I use to get me back on track when I encounter turbulence.

The “five and five” rule

I will always remember the moment when I got kicked out of high school. One of my earliest lessons in mindset. As I was sitting in the principal’s office getting the bad news, the principal told me something I’ve never forgotten. 

“Kenny,” he said. “It’s all about five and five. There will always be five people worse off than you and five people better off than you.” 

The lesson here is, don’t play the comparison game. Because if you play that game, you’ll always lose. You’ll either feel sorry for yourself or blame others. Or even worse, be envious, which just eats you up. Instead, focus on your own lane in life and you’ll start to see results.

Simple is not easy

When I was younger, I thought I could get places by taking shortcuts: better grades, more money, and happier relationships. However, instead of getting places faster, I lost my way. 

Kara Lawson, the Duke women’s basketball coach, says: “We all wait in life for things to get easier. It will never get easier. What happens is you handle hard better.”

Now I understand in life making things simple is not so easy. Moreover, as a leader and entrepreneur, I understand that to set myself and my team up for success, I need to do the groundwork. Creating simple solutions takes a lot of work up front to build a solid foundation or process. Then later you will see simple and more efficient results occur.

We don’t hit dead ends, we hit cul-de-sacs

Lots of people think if they make a wrong turn in life or business, it’s a dead end. So they talk themselves into staying in their job, business vertical, or relationship because they think there’s no way out. However, it’s never a dead end unless you die.

Each time I hit turbulence, I could have said this is it. This is what I deserve. There’s nothing better. I could have stayed jobless, homeless, or uneducated. Instead, I learned there’s no such thing as a dead end.

A wrong turn is really a cul-de-sac. And when you’re in a cul-de-sac, all you need to do is circle around to exit and get back on another road. While you may need to try a few different roads to get where you want to go, you don’t have to stay where you are. Remember, there’s always another road. 

I’ve had many challenges in my life, from being kicked out of school to being homeless and even some turbulence with the law (that’s another story for a different time). However, I’ve been able to turn it around by using a successful mindset. I don’t compare myself with others, I do the hard work to create a simple and repeatable process, and when my path is blocked, I turn around and find another way.