3 Positive Ways to Deal with the Unthinkable
It was a routine attempt to block a three-point shot. But when University of Louisville sophomore guard Kevin Ware landed, he fractured his composite tibia.
The unthinkable happened.
The next 30 minutes plus the rest of the game were a lesson for all of us when dealing with life or business.
As I watched, I discovered 3 positive ways to deal with the unthinkable:
deal in reality
When the unthinkable happens, it’s anything but pretty. The Louisville and Duke players turned their heads in disbelief. To their credit, CBS spared us the horrible, repetitive reruns.
In such experiences, it is hard to believe that it is really happening.
Whether it’s a compound fracture, a cancer diagnosis, or the bank calling to deliver its promissory note, we’re tempted to deny rather than deal with reality.
The ultimate advantage in dealing is that you confront and control what you can. Move forward to splint or examine treatment options or arrange other funding.
Express your emotions
Next, express your emotions. Yes, you can suppress them for a short time, but the sooner you express them, the faster you will move forward.
Louisville players and coach Rick Pitino wept openly. They faced reality and reacted appropriately. Someone they cared about was suffering. They get hurt with it.
It’s cathartic to cry. The release of tears as well as their chemical composition provide healing.
The unthinkable is shocking. We react emotionally. Once those emotions are expressed, dealing with the unthinkable becomes easier. Think about it while we clear the table and get ready for the next course.
focus on the goal
Writing in pain, Kevin Ware was able to step back from the unthinkable moment, see beyond his own needs, and focus on the goal: winning the game.
He said, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Just win the game.”
For someone so young to show such maturity is rare. Most of us, especially when the unthinkable happens, are self-absorbed.
When the unthinkable happens in your life or business, you deal with reality and express your emotions to get to this point: achieving the goal in front of you.
I like to say: “I’m more surprised when a project turns out the way I think it does than when it doesn’t.”
By keeping your focus on the goal, “just winning the game,” you adapt to changing conditions in life and business and positively face the unthinkable.
Thanks, Kevin Ware, for teaching us all how to do it.
