Look for the Positive & Create Magic by Dave LaRue

Years ago, my father-in-law taught me a great lesson in life. Even when something happens in your life that's not ideal, it’s important to search and ask the questions to find something that could be good within the experience. My pep talk when I'm delivered one of these challenges is, "Well, this sucks, but if I can find something good … what is it?"

A few weeks ago I was a guest on my friend’s boat for a weekend. After we concluded our getaway, he was planning on driving me to the airport, as I was scheduled for weeklong business trip to Colombia. When it was time to disembark the boat, the captain asked me if he could take my luggage down for me and I said, “No, don't worry about it, I can do it,” and that's when the fun began.

On the way down the gangway, I was holding my heavy bag in my right hand, and with my left hand I was holding the handrail to keep stability. The rail detached, and I lost my balance. I let go of my bag to slow my fall, but my left foot was wedged between the two stairs. Five hours later, when I was all stitched up and in my walking cast, I said, "Well, this sucks, but if I can find something good … what is it?"

A month has passed, and there have been so many wonderful things that have happened because of my unfortunate situation. My team had to cover for me in Colombia, and they were able to have new experiences and create great opportunities. In addition, they met new people, they toured facilities that they normally wouldn't have been able to. I was able to get some much-needed rest and was able to spend more time with my grandchildren. The downtime allowed me to gain clarity on our business strategies and new business opportunities. I'm not saying that I want to do it again, but I will tell you, if you can get in that habit of asking yourself great questions when you have a challenge or a problem, or when you're disappointed, you will attract the positive and see the magic! The best awareness I had was the appreciation of the wonderful people that are in my life. Remember, great thinking creates great actions.

Cheers and thanks a billion!

Dave