Yesterday, we began looking at the case of a past coaching client of mine, who faced devastating news.   We took particular notice of what his initial response was to the shock.  Remember, your initial response sets the course of action (or inaction).

He hit the challenge head on, and refused to buy into being defeated and done.  Today, I would like to share the second half of his story.  His continued (and long-term) response was the thing that dictated his outcome, not the original diagnosis.  He was told they were surprised he was still living, they caught it too late.  He decided, for himself, that his life was worth fighting for, and he would continue to battle until he won, no highway option.  After the dust settled from the initial shock, he went to work on an aggressive plan to eradicate the problem.

I won’t get into the details, but the end result was that he won (it’s been over 8 years).  His providers hesitated at first, and eventually called it a miracle, acknowledging they couldn’t explain the healing.  They did cite “the will to live”, a patient’s attitude, and a fighting spirit as catalysts to recovery.  Can science explain this? I don’t know.  Is this anecdotal? Yes, however, it is one of many such similar stories.  Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” I’m constantly preparing myself for “victory setting” initial responses, and for a  “no highway option” continued response until I win.

Boo yah!!