The-Slight-Edge

The 7 Slight Edge Principles 83
one is safe from their grasp, me included. Let me tell you a story that will help
illustrate what I mean.
I was speaking in Palm Springs to a crowd of about 2,500 people. At the end
of my speech I wanted them to be able to ask any question about the presentation
I just gave. For the next three hours we had a Q&A session, and halfway through
it a woman from the audience took the microphone; I remember she had a strong
presence about her. She said to me, “Jeff, you obviously take care of yourself, you
are very successful …” Then she got to a part that I will never forget.
She proceeded to say, “What are people like us supposed to do? A lot of us are
looking to get what you have. What is the secret to getting through the tough times?”
This is a question I had never received before and I was a little stumped at first. Just
then I received a little inspiration from somewhere and proceeded to tell her that there
are days when I wake up and I’m in what I call “the funk,” where life feels heavy,
depressing and I just don’t want to get out of bed because I just don’t feel right.
The first thing I do when I’m feeling this way is I take inventory of my blessings.
I have people who love me, I have great relationships, I’m healthy, I’m financially
independent, etc. But it still doesn’t go away immediately; in fact, sometimes it
takes several hours or days to get out of the funk.
Now I don’t have much to complain about, but the funk still gets me. I don’t
think it matters how “successful” you are in life, the funk is still going to get you
at times. It comes for everyone—it doesn’t discriminate.
I told that woman that, number one, she is normal. Everyone gets the funk.
But here is what I have learned. I finally came to a realization one day (this is what
saved me) that there is no way I can understand love, if I haven’t felt hurt. I can’t
know good without knowing what’s bad. I can’t feel happy and content without
feeling the funk. Life is ebb and flow.
So when bad things are happening to you, you need to “embrace the funk”
with the principles you have learned in this book. When something is hard or
difficult and adversity is at your front door, embrace it, because it will refine
you like a refiner’s fire and make you stronger. You can’t know happiness unless
you feel sadness. If you embrace it as part of the process, I tell you it can be life
altering. This has helped so many people get unstuck.
Life is going to get you down and the funk is going to get you. Embrace it
and fight through it and know you are not alone. You are no different than anyone
out there. Without knowing you and what your strengths and weaknesses are, I
feel like I know you, because I’ve met hundreds of people who are just like you,
who have applied these Slight Edge principles to take baby steps out of the funk,
and it has made a huge difference in their lives.