Back in the seventies, Rick Nelson (earlier known as Rickie Nelson) had a hit song about a night that he appeared at Madison Square Garden with other artists after he’d let his hair grow long and he didn’t look like Rickie Nelson any longer. Rick left the stage after being booed and taking it personally. The song was written after reflection and seemed to indicate that he had put his disappointment into proper perspective.

Don’t waste your time agonizing over the reactions of others to your decisions and your business moves. In business, make the decision that will best benefit your customer, or your company associates, or your team. Whether your decision is popular or not is immaterial and irrelevant. What IS important is whether your decision was the best for the business. If it was, eventually your teammates will recognize that you are a person of character and will respect your decision and the manner in which you came to make the decision. Follow your values and don’t get hung up on popularity. Trust your gut.

Have you ever been thinking, “Who’s running this rodeo, anyway?” when you were thinking about your company or your career? Let’s face it. Things won’t always go your way. Life is an intoxicating mix of great successes and painful sorrows. I happen to believe that without the depths of our sorrows we really wouldn’t feel the joy in our successes as vibrantly, but that’s just me. Take accountability for yourself and don’t worry about whether you ran into some bad fortune.

Take ownership of your choices. You are not a victim unless you consciously choose and agree to be a victim. Don’t concede your control, ever, because this is your career and your life. Ask yourself this: If I’m not going to own my results, who will? Of course, the answer is….. Nobody!

Remember that mental toughness and resiliency are not for the faint of heart. If you want to learn to bounce back from adversity, you’re going to have to invest in some elbow grease. There is no better time to invest in yourself than right now. Get started and enjoy the ride!