There is no doubt that living with redundancy, and the fear of redundancy, can be tough. So tough in fact that it can feel almost impossible to see through the fog and look for the positives. Look for what long term good might come out of a temporarily difficult situation.

In such times we are often encouraged to look for inspiration from others who have risen above seemingly impossible hurdles, met challenges head on and come out the other end much better people.

People like Jamie Andrew http://www.jamieandrew.com who continues climbing mountains despite losing both hands and feet in a climbing accident in 1999. Or  Victor Frankl, Auschwitz survivor, who lived a full live following his liberation, establishing himself as a world renowned psychiatrist and writing many books including ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’.

And whilst I agree that these achievements are to be applauded and we can most certainly  all learn from them, I wonder whether in looking at such a high level we are missing inspiration which might lie closer to home. From amongst those we know and love. Whose achievements, whilst perhaps not in the same superhuman league, nevertheless because they involve someone we care about can have more of an impact in helping us see things in a different, more positive light?

What prompted this thinking was a phone call from my sister Susan about her husband Graham’s latest mishap. Graham had a nasty fall on the ice in the week before Christmas and dislocated his knee – his leg was strapped up and he was given crutches as a temporary measure over Christmas but told he would be in for an operation as soon as a slot could be found. And true to the hospital’s word, the operation was carried out before the year end.

Graham knows that his recovery is going to be long and painful but what he wasn’t expecting was to be back in hospital within a few hours of being discharged. It seems there was a problem with the wound which resulted in excessive bleeding, bad enough to prompt a ‘999’ call and, as Susan said, ‘the room ended up looking as though it  was in the middle of the Battle of the Somme’

Now all this would be bad enough but Graham has had more than his fair share of problems in recent times.  Firstly, there was his heart problem which necessitated a number of stays in hospital, an operation and continuing daily medication. Then he was diagnosed with testicular cancer – another operation and regular hospital visits for the next five years.

Having gone through all this, who could blame him if he became overwhelmed by the bad luck which has dogged him over the last few years? If he took it out on his family or became even the teeniest bit depressed?

I certainly wouldn’t but that’s not Graham’s way. His way is to find a joke and an upside to everything. And there is always an upside to be found. This time it is that, once they have patched his leg up again and discharged him, once he has sorted out with his boss some work to do from home, it will still leave plenty of time to get some extra guitar practice in. For playing the guitar is a recently discovered passion and the chance to give a boost to this newly acquired skill is just too good to miss.

And I find that …………….truly inspirational. To be able to rise above this latest setback and just see the opportunity is a lesson for us all.

Graham’s story is an inspiration to me – who do you know who has done something which can inspire you to rise above your own challenges?

www.macintoshwright.com – Business Coaching specialists

   
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