When Life Knocks You Down (Literally)

“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” – Nelson Mandela

Sometimes things don’t go as planned.

On my annual ski trip to Utah, I caught an edge, lost my ski, and took an awkward fall.

I’ve been skiing for 45 years without any injuries, so maybe my luck just ran out.

When I fell, I heard something pop. But my brain went into denial/survival mode - trying to convince me that I was fine. It was a pretty good fall so I thought I just needed a minute to regroup. Until I tried to stand up.

That’s when I realized my right arm wasn’t going to cooperate. It just hung there useless and heavy. Like a dead weight.

And then the pain hit! It started radiating from my shoulder all the way down to my fingertips. And that’s when I knew I needed help.

My friends went to fetch ski patrol while I lay there, staring at the sky, replaying what had just happened.

How could this be?

This was only my second ski day of the season. And I LOVE to ski!

And in two weeks, I was supposed to go on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas.

Oh, and I’m right-handed.

That’s about the time that ski patrol arrived, put my arm in a sling, and whisked me down the mountain to the medic center.

After one x-ray, it was conclusive. I had fractured my humerus (upper arm bone) and the head of the bone had shattered into a few fragments.

The next morning I was on flight back home with my arm in a sling and not able to tie my own shoes.

After more x-rays, a CT scan and a conversation with an orthopedic surgeon, I was told that my recovery time will be 6 months with lots of PT and no weight bearing activities for my right arm.

And another 6 months before I’ll have full strength and (hopefully) most of my mobility back.

Cue my brain going into complete overwhelm and panic.

No more skiing this year.

No use of my right arm for 6 months.

No sleeping lying down for a month or two.

No yoga.

No pulling shirts over my head.

And no trip to Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas with my wife and friends.

When’s the Last Time Life Went as Planned?

How ironic that my last article was about taking risks and doing things that scare you. (Funny how life throws your own advice back in your face sometimes.)

But let’s be real for a second. When does everything go exactly as planned?

You get blindsided by a layoff.

A health issue shows up out of nowhere.

You lose a close friend.

An important project gets sidetracked or completely derailed.

An election doesn’t go the way you’d hoped.

If you’re truly on the field of play - embracing life, taking risks, putting yourself out there - sooner or later you’ll take a hit, get knocked down, miss the big shot, lose the client, and experience some form of humiliation and disappointment along the way.

As far as I know, the only way to limit setbacks is to sit on the sidelines. And even then, life will find a way to test you.

How to Never Let Setbacks Take You Out of the Game

Here’s what I’m reminding myself of as I navigate this latest plot twist:

1) Accept it and take full responsibility

No “why me?” No bargaining. No blaming myself. It happened. The faster I accept it, the faster I can move forward.

2) I get 24 hours to mope and feel sorry for myself

Go ahead - feel the frustration. Get mad, vent, mope. But after 24 hours, it’s time to move on and understand that dwelling on my unlucky situation won’t change a thing.

3) Look for the silver lining (it’s there, I promise)

While waiting to see my orthopedic surgeon, I met an older Austrian guy in the waiting area who’d had his fair share of injuries in his lifetime. His advice to me?

“Ladies love scars.” (Noted.)

“Pain is temporary.” (Also true.)

“You will heal and get better.” (I’m holding onto that one.)

4) How is this an opportunity to see things from a new perspective?

Right now, I have to slow down. Reevaluate. Do things differently. I can either resist it - or embrace it as a chance to shift my perspective.

In my case, I’m noticing that doing everything left-handed is forcing my brain to work harder and make new neural connections. I’m literally rewiring parts of my brain.

I’m not totally convinced how or if any of this is connected but I’m noticing that I’m considering unrelated topics from a slightly different perspective and connecting dots in new and surprising ways.

5) Welcome the miracles (they’re there if you’re willing to look)

There’s always something unexpected with setbacks - lessons, opportunities, people who show up at just the right time. You just have to be open to seeing them.

Resilience is Built in Moments Like These

If you’re lucky enough to be reading this, you will experience things that feel unfair. That’s life.

But how you respond? That’s everything.

So when life knocks you down - whether it’s on a ski mountain, in your business, or anywhere else - remember: The game is deciding to get back up and make the very most of the situation.

I guarantee that while your situation might feel dire and impossible, someone, somewhere has it far worse than you.

Make the most of your situation and use it as motivation and fuel to guide you. You might just end up in a place you never could have imagined.

Live bravely,

Michael

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