迎战逆境
CONFRONT ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES
杨钊居士
By Charles Yeung Translated by Soula Lo
There are times we might encounter an adverse circumstance in our life. How to learn the skills to deal with an adverse circumstance is a kind of profound knowledge. Nowadays, the global economic crisis affects all occupations. Due to the reality of the present situation, I would like to discuss the methods of dealing with such an adverse circumstance.
人生很多时候会遇到逆境，如何学会应付逆境的本领，实在是一门很高的学问。现在，全球经济危机，进而影响各行各业，迫于现实，特此探讨应付逆境之道。
To deal with an adverse circumstance, and overcome these kinds of situations, we have to break through three barriers:
Mental barrier.
Knowledge barrier.
Practice barrier.
应付逆境，要在逆境中取得胜利，要过三关：一、心理关；二、知识关；三、实践关。
I. Mental or attitude barrier
一、心理
When we encounter an adverse circumstance, we must maintain positive thinking and have faith. China’s prime minister Wen Jiabao said, “Faith is more important than gold.” China’s vice chairman Xi Jinping also said, “As long as our faith is not falling, the solutions are always more than the difficulties.” In September 1944, while China was in a very difficult time in the Second Sino-Japanese War, the leader of the People’s Republic of China addressed, “When we are in the difficult times, our comrades must have a vision for success, must be able to see the light, and must enhance our courage.” While browsing through books about how to deal with an adverse circumstance, I found Mao Zedong’s poem that Mr. Chang Li quotes in his article, Seek Survival in an adverse circumstance:
心理或称心态关，在逆境的时候，必须保持正面的思维，保持信心，温家宝前总理说：「信心比黄金更重要」。习近平主席说：「只有信心不滑坡，办法总比困难多」。中国在抗日战争困难时期，即一九四四年九月，中共的领袖提出「我们的同志在困难的时候，要看到成绩，要看到光明，要提高我们的勇气」。假日在家翻查应付逆境的书籍，张立先生在「逆境求存」中，引用毛泽东的「诗词」：
“Although the sky is churning, the current is chilly and rapid; the earth is still blowing the warm and gentle breeze.” When we are in the most difficult time, it will gradually create a common consensus from all directions, to deal with the rapid chilly current. This power is the warm and gentle breeze in the chilly current.
「高天滚滚寒流急，大地微微暖气吹」，在最困难的时候，各方面逐步会形成共识，去应付急速的寒流，这股力量，就是寒流中的暖气。
During adverse circumstances, we have to awake the sense of commitment and responsibility bearing deep in our heart, and establish a persistent and undaunted spirit to fight with the resolution of “either win or die.” Only this way, can we awake our desire for survival; bring out wisdom and capability from our subconscious.
在逆境，必须唤醒自己内心的使命感和责任感，并建立不屈不挠、百折不挠的精神，建立「背水一战」的决心，只有这样，才能唤醒自己求生欲望，发挥潜意识的智慧和功能。
While in adverse circumstances, the worst thing to do is to give up and run away; therefore, if people ask, “what is the worst failure in life?” The answer would be, “give up and run away.”
在逆境之中，最差的方法是放弃和逃避，所以，当人们问，人生最大的失败是什么？答案是：放弃和逃避。
II. Knowledge barrier
二、知识
This means theories. How to confront an adverse circumstance? We have to find the right methods, and search for the right ways that are based upon good theories. First, we have to overcome the mental barrier. Only when we have established a positive attitude ourselves, can we gather the staff who also have a positive attitude, and to search and cultivate more cadre members. Upon having a positive attitude in the whole process, we must set an example; less talk and more action is the best method. Gradually, we will affect people around us, so they would also establish the determination to “confront the adverse circumstance,” fight together in the adverse battlefield, and learn the wisdom and capability of “dealing with the adverse circumstance.”
知识就是理论。如何迎战逆境？必须找出方法，寻找理论依据。自我心理必须过关，只有自己能建立正面的心态，才能凝聚正面心态的员工，跟着就是寻找和培养干部。具备正面的心态，在这个过程中，以身作则和少说多做，是最佳的方法，慢慢地就会影响周围的人，令他们逐步形成「迎战逆境」的决心，同赴逆境战场，在逆境中学习「应付逆境」的智慧和本领。
During World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s way of dealing with adverse circumstance was, “Face the failure; learn from the mistakes.”
英国首相丘吉尔，在第二次世界大战中，应付逆境的方法是「面对失败，从错误中学习」。
“Face the failure” means we should be faithful to the truth, and absolutely obey the data numbers, not look for excuses, but put into practice the best and only standards to examine Truth.
「面对失误」，宜实事求是，绝对应该服从数字，而不应找寻借口，因为「实践是检验真理的唯一标准」。
In some cases, specialists think, “True, if you are a powerful man with a leader’s charisma, you should spend some time to think that, a leader’s charisma is an asset, but is also a debt. Your merits of character could also bear the seeds of problems. Your followers will automatically filter information, preventing you from seeing the cruel truth. You have to be very aware of this, and spend a lot of time to focus on this problem, and always watch out for the side effects.”
在专家研究的个案中认为：「的确，如果你是很有领袖魅力的强人，应该花时间好好想一想，领袖魅力是资产，也是负债，你性格上的优点也可能埋下了问题的种子，员工会自动过滤资讯，不让你接触到残酷的真相，你必须有充分的自觉，长期投注心力，注意这个『副作用』。」
Churchill was very aware of a powerful man’s weakness. During the darkest days of World War II, almost all European countries and North African tribes had fallen into the Nazi’s hand. The United States putting its own safety as its first priority, therefore allowed Adolf Hitler the chance to attack Britain with all of Germany’s force (at the time, they hadn’t invaded the Soviet Union yet). Churchill said, “We will never give up, never! We will never parley; we will never negotiate with Hitler or any of his gang. We shall fight him by land; we shall fight him by sea; we shall fight him in the air, until, with God’s help, we have rid the earth of his shadow and liberated its people from his yoke.”
英国的丘吉尔首相深知强人的缺点，在第二次世界大战，最黑暗的日子里，几乎整个欧洲和北非都落入纳粹党的魔掌，美国当时希望明哲保身，因此希特勒可以专心对付英国(当时还没有发动对苏联的攻击)。丘吉尔说：「我们绝不放弃，绝不！我们永远不会求和，我们永远不会和希特勒或纳粹党徒谈判。我们将在陆上迎战他们，在海上迎战他们，在空中迎战他们，直到在老天爷帮助下，我们完全摆脱纳粹的阴影」。
Although Churchill held a bold vision, he was willing to face the cruel reality. He was afraid that he couldn’t hear the truly bad news because of his powerful character, so beyond the normal command system, he established a completely independent department: the Statistic department, during the early stage of the war. This department’s main function was to provide him with the most updated and unfiltered cruel facts (for example, this unit would check and confirm how many fighter planes had been damaged or lost, and the current level of supplies). During World War II, he valued this special unit greatly. He constantly requested them to provide him with the facts, and as long as the data was true to the facts, everything was considered okay. When the Nazi’s armored troops swept the entirety of Europe, Churchill still slept soundly every night. He said, “I had no need for cheering dreams. Facts are better than dreams.”
尽管胸怀大胆的愿景，丘吉尔却正视残酷的现实，他唯恐自己会因为强人的性格，而听不到真正的坏消息。因此，他从开战初期就在正常指挥系统外，设立了完全独立的部门－统计局，主要的功能，就是持续提供他最新而且完全未经过滤的，最残酷的事实(例如：随时查证战斗机数量和折损状况，军需品供应数量等等)，整个二次世界大战期间，他都十分倚重这个特殊单位，不断要求他们提供事实，只要是事实资料都好。当纳粹党装甲部队横扫全欧时，丘吉尔每晚仍照样呼呼大睡，他说：「我不需要鼓舞人心的美梦，事实胜于美梦」。
“In difficult times, which kind of person cannot persist until the end?” Case studies from research reports tell us, “The blindly optimistic person, who hasn’t found the way out.” This kind of optimist would say in a difficult time, “We will solve the problem before Christmas.” As a result, Christmas comes, and Christmas goes, yet the problem is still there. And then they say, “We will definitely solve the problem before Easter.” As a result, Easter also passes. Next is thanksgiving, and then, Christmas comes again. At the end, they fail because they are heartbroken.
「在困难时期，哪一种人通常无法坚持到最后？」研究个案告诉我们，「盲目乐天派，但又没找到出路的人」，乐天派的人在困难时期会说：「圣诞节以前，我们会解决问题」，结果，圣诞节来临了，圣诞节过去了，问题依然存在。然后，他们又说：「复活节以前，我们一定会解决问题」，结果，复活节也过去了，接下来，是感恩节，然后圣诞节又来临了。最后，他们因为心碎而失败。
At the most difficult time, the method of using a cheering vision is a complete waste of time. The real problem is that we don’t have many bullets left. What kind of method should we use that would not strike down the staffs’ spirit? The easiest way to strike their spirit is by offering the illusion of empty hope. Later on, empty hope cannot pass the test; it will become burst and extinguished.
在最困难的时候，如果采取激励人心的「愿景」，完全是浪费时间，真正的问题是我们已经没有多少子弹了，我们应该采取什么样的方法，才不会打击员工的士气？而最容易打击士气的动作，莫过于提出虚妄的希望，后来却经不起考验，一一破灭。
III. Practice barrier
三、实践
In an adverse circumstance, there are five weapons which can help you win the battle:
1. Problems? Great!
2. Identify the critical point of time to achieve success.
3. Inspire oneself.
4. Inspire others.
5. Act immediately.
在逆境中，有五颗炸弹可以令你反败为胜，一、有问题吗？好极了！二、找出成功的契机，三、激励自己，四、激励别人。五、立即行动。
1. Problems? Great! This is a way to look at the problems with a positive attitude. We think of ourselves as highly skilled at management, and have the top level of practice. Now that we have encountered a truly adverse circumstance, it is a great opportunity to test our capabilities of management and our level of practice; therefore we say, “Great! This is the opportunity of a lifetime, so rare and so wonderful. It is the best time to test our practicing level and our blessed fortune.”
一、有问题吗？好极了！这是运用正面心态看问题，我们自负是管理高手，又自认为是修行到高层次，现在遇到大的逆境，正好印证一下自己的管理能力和修行层次，所以说：「好极了！真是人生难得几回搏」，这是考验我们功夫和福力的时候了。
2. Identify the critical point of time to achieve success. 3. Inspire oneself. 4. Inspire others. Establish a red flag system. Put a red flag on any problem that would seriously harm the company. Everyone should share the same goal, deal with problems together as one, and no one should hold back confronting critical matters. Only in this way, can the company act as one unit, and thus, inspire ourselves and our staff. Everyone should have resolution and courage to either achieve success or die.
二、三、四、找出成功的契机。设立红旗制度，把严重危害公司的问题插上红旗，务必上下一心，共同对付，任何人不得阻碍。只有这样，才能统一行动，才能激励自己，激励员工，抱有不成功、便成仁的决心和勇气。
5. Act immediately: List the important matters that need to be modified, mark them with red flags. Identify five matters at the most (less is better) and expect to see results within two years. Examine and estimate the current cadre members. If some people are not able to bear the responsibility, then look for other or new members who possess the resolution, courage, capability and willingness to confront any adverse circumstance with us. Then we can fight together in any adverse circumstance of battle, to strike back in any dangerous situation.
五、立即行动，把应该改正的重大项目列出来，插上红旗，最多为五项，少于五项更佳，必须在一两年内见成效。检讨现有的骨干队伍，若估计有些人无法承担责任的，马上物色有决心、有勇气、有能力、愿意和我们一起「迎战逆境」的员工，共赴逆境战场，进行危地反击战。(完)
(The end)
