A.D.G.O (Another Darn Growth Opportunity)
I was at a conference last week at VCU. Linda Hancock presented this idea of ADGOs - Another Darn Growth Opportunity. She indicated that these are the sometimes self-inflicted and sometimes life experiences that catch us off guard. For example, getting in a fight with your boss might be a self-inflicted ADGO. Your car breaking down would be another. We are human. Difficult things happen to us and we also sometimes act in way that make things hard. Skills and re-framing help. Life, is often one problem/obstacle/opportunity after another. So, she suggests that we look at these challenges - not as problems to be avoided - but as disguised growth opportunities. A.D.G.O.s can also give us the passion to help others though similar issues.
In this thread, please share an ADGO you are facing and how you redeemed it!
@GlenM--this is a great idea!! I'll share one from this week:
My boss at the neurology clinic decided that we had to cancel our schedule on a particular day next week because he wanted us to focus on something of (in his opinion) a higher priority. I am working on growing professionally as well as being more flexible and okay with change and lack of control.
@Amelia - this is a really great example :)
@Amelia I love this 
@Amelia hope the learning goes well Amelia change is never easy
@GlenM
My car got a flat tyre and I wasn't too upset or stressed; I saw it as an opportunity to put my knowledge to the test and change the tyre myself. I knew what to do but I couldn't undo the nuts on the wheel, they were so tight! It angered me slightly that I could not do it myself, despite being a fairly strong woman. My boss, her husband and a kind stranger allowed me to get back on the road and continue my work shift. It started out negative but ended up being positive and it's always lovely to be helped by a kind stranger.
@SilentSerenityy, awesome! nice patience and perseverance!
@SilentSerenityy sorry about the frustration it caused but its definetly nice that a stranger helps isnt it :)
My daughter is trans. It's time to make her name change legal. It makes it so final for me. But, when I have to use her birth name for something, it upsets me. Clearly, it needs done.
@Knockers wow, you are a great mom! It is nice that you support her like that!
@Knockers great work!
@Knockers
Wow that is amazing! You are a great mom!
@Knockers i know it cant be easy but is great your supporting her decision great job
When I went through a painful divorce it really brought me close to the brink of not being able to cope. I kept moving and somehow I ended up on solid ground again. This experience was tough to go through but it made me emotionally stronger and also more empathetic of people in depression. I think it is one of the foundations on my experiences here at 7CUPS as a listener.
Now I try not to judge things as a negative but see the value that might emerge out of this experience.
@soulsings thanks for sharing this story and for being there for folks going through challenges like depression.
@soulsings thanks for sharing this story and its great your a listener here its a great lesson to learn not seeing the negatives :)
Over the past few years, the other admins that ran a mental support page with me on facebook have all either moved on or just faded away. Every year, I run a mental health month "event" through May through the page I run.
I decided it was going to be too emotionally draining to vet new admins in time to help run the event, so instead I have asked multiple friends with mental health issues what they would like to see addressed or what they would tell everyone if they could. I am going to use asking for help both there and here for question and post ideas and being myself to run this event without having extra admin support because I know I have gotten WAY better at asking for help.
My event has been created, because I know I can count on my friends and support circles to help me do what I need to. <3
@sinamynlee love this - the longer I do this the more I realize how asking for help really shows a lot of strength. Nice work!
@GlenM
Thank you :) and that specifically is one topic we will be addressing - how hard it can be to ask for help and that it takes great strength and shows no weakness <3 You guys have a beautiful site, i'm glad to be a part of it.
@GlenM i like asking for help it helps i have challenges to its anixety and stress it bother and being disrespected bothers me to
@GlenM i like asking for help it helps i have challenges to its anixety and stress it bother and being disrespected bothers me to
@sinamynlee thanks for sharing this thats great your getting better at asking for help and have support from friends and family
I went for my 5k run on Sunday morning. By the 2k mark I was hurting, but I still finished my run. I was still hurting when Tuesday morning rolled around, however I went out and ran my usual 3k anyways. The entire run hurt as did everything I did after the run. I discussed the pain with a close friend who is experienced in running injuries and it sounds like taking a couple days off is ideal to let it heal up and I can reassess how I feel in a couple days.
This disappointed me. I am impatient; I want to achieve my goals and I want to achieve them now. Taking two days off feels like a setback. I am trying to learn to accept that sometimes I will need to stop and take a break to allow for healing or that I won't always run my best time each week. There will be setbacks and this is a normal part of life.
This is something that I need to consider in other areas of my life. There are things I want to see happen or I want to fix immediately and I don't want to wait. I want it sorted out now. I working to accept that things will take time and that is ok.
@PolarCat I had this same experience training for a half marathon a few years ago. Love how you were able to generalize it to other parts of life.
@PolarCat Hi there. Sorry you are in pain while running. Yoga is teaching me to listen to what my body is saying. Pushing my body past its limits is not working for me.
Many runners in my yoga classes that use yoga to restore their bodies in a gentle way to keep from having major issues. It also teaches greater mindfulness. If a few days off does not help maybe body is needing more than rest.
All the best to you.
@PolarCat sorry to hear about that. Nowadays it's so hard to accept things that take time, we want everything immediately! But I believe patience can be developed with practice, so hold tighy! And I hope the couple of days pays off.
Wish you all the best x
@PolarCat wow thanks for sharing this , its great you were able to compare the running setbacks to life setbacks . its understandable in wanting somehing now but never the case is it
A.D.G.O: My due date for finishing my thesis was shorteen and I only have 10 days left. This is my A.D.G.O to show I can do this! 
@MariaEmilia you got it!
@MariaEmilia you can do this :) go Maria hehe
I feel like life's been giving me so many obstacles lately and somehow I'm surviving. Makes me think that humans have almost limitless capabilities of getting through things and fulfilling all duties nevertheless-it's like learning that it's never so bad that it couldn't be worse,but on the other hand as long as someone is alive and manages to still be happy at least a bit, it means that they can cope with nearly anything. So all these obstacles are opportunities to see that. Tough lessons but maybe beneficial ;)
@RiseLikePhoenix sounds like you are true to your name - continuing to rise up!
@GlenM, thanks I'm trying 
@RiseLikePhoenix this is great your finding your able to overcome all these obstacles as glen said you certainly live up to your name :)
Rather simple, but I had to once again decide whether to put friendship over work. Friendship pulled through. :)
@RandomAccessMemory simple but hard and I think a lot of folks struggle with that choice. Nicely done!
@RandomAccessMemory Great Job RAM not an easy choice either so im glad you knew what to do :)
@CaringBrit @GlenM Thank you both for being so supportive on my first forum post :)
@RandomAccessMemory your welcome
