In case of emergency…

Sometimes great advice can come from unlikely sources. Have you ever been white water rafting? My first time was on the Ocoee River in North Carolina with some good friends before a wedding. There are some class III and IV rapids with a couple V thrown in for good measure. If you do not have a reference point for what that means, imagine you were sitting in the bottom of a six foot pool and the waves are as high as the sides. It will push most anyone out of their comfort zone quickly.

raftOur guide told that if you get thrown out of the raft, try to get a good breath and keep your feet up. That way you will not get them stuck in a rock. Then he said something I will never forget;

“In case of an emergency, you must take an active role in your own rescue.”

Good advice under most circumstances, but especially if you’re about to transit a raging river.  Well, we were about halfway into the adventure and we when into a massive rapid aptly name Devil’s Hole.  I was front left and I tried to hold on with my feet, but I went flying out of the boat.  They said I was underwater for almost 15 seconds.  All they could see was the top of my paddle.  Finally, I popped up, remembered to keep my feet  up.  I fought hard make it back to the raft and got help to get back in. I had to take an active role in my rescue and work hard to get back to the raft.

What rapids are you facing right now? Are you still in the boat or have you been thrown out and fighting to get back in?

We got a wake-up call in the near melt down of fall 2008 a nd for many business has been changing ever since. I know what I do has gotten consistently more difficult and the advice of that guide has been burning my ears.

Take an active role in my own rescue.

With career, marriage, children, money concerns, health issues, community or church obligations and whatever else you’ve got going on, it can be challenging to pop back up, stay calm, fight to get back into the raft and get moving again.

Here are 3 things you can do right now:

1. Take a deep breath and relax. It will be OK. Look up and smile for me. You have what it takes to get through this. Have absolute faith in your abilities. If you need to laugh, look down for me. Can you see the ground? Yes, congratulations, you are still above ground and in the game.

2. Swim like hell and fight! You have more reserve energy and passion than you realize. Now is the time to take great care of yourself and be in top condition. Drink more water, cut out the soda, drink the Get Switched On Smoothie 4 days a week, log at least 15 aerobic days a month on your Get Switched On Energy Schedule, read/watch/listen to positive material and spend time with supportive people.

3. Make a decision and take decisive action now. Is there a brutal fact you must confront? What can you decide to do right now that will make a difference? What is your first step? Create your plan of action and get moving.

Let me know what you think.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *