Let me ask you a question: do you believe there is an upside in every situation? While kayaking through white water rapids or skiing the deep Colorado powder, there is great danger in finding yourself upside down. In that moment all hope may seem lost, but as you fight to regain control there is great upside to be taken away from either situation.
If your kayak is flipped or you’re stuck upside down on your skis, you could be in trouble. There are two options in this situation, giving in and fighting. Other than dying and meeting your maker, you could fight to exit and roll your kayak, or attempt to release your skis and get your boots back under you.
The kayaking accident provides life-enhancing experiences in multiple ways. You could have gained great confidence in your ability to survive risk-taking, or decided that you enjoyed kayaking enough to train harder and further sharpen your skills. Perhaps you decided that those level 6 rapids were just not what you had hoped, and have decided to pursue another goal. The skiing incident may cause you to always have a ski buddy along making sure that you ski safely and avoid another disaster.
Apply this same concept to the business world. What if your physician practice finds itself dependent on fee-for-service payment, and then reimbursement requirements shift dramatically? You may face financial failure, and the reality of bankruptcy. Do you accept defeat and lose the business, or can you tackle the challenge and develop a plan to succeed?
This situation might help you build a contingency plan in the future for unforeseen changes, but even if you weren’t able to change your plan and achieve success in this particular venture, would your life end? Absolutely not! You would get a second chance to learn, grow and move on to the next venture.
I firmly believe that experiential learning far exceeds the value of academic knowledge. Think about the things in life that have taught you the most. I will bet it most likely wasn’t in a classroom. Every situation, good or bad, is a great opportunity to grow and gain a new perspective. How might any of these potentially real life situations apply to your world? Try to find examples of situations like these in your life. The life-enhancing lessons learned could be very insightful. Try thinking them through to see if being upside down can provide some ‘upside.’ Perhaps it will even keep your head above your boots in your life today.