As I've been talking about finding the opportunity in a crisis, I realized some of my friends are perfect examples of finding light in the midst of darkness. So today isn't all about business - it's about people who chose to make lemonade when they were given big fat lemons.

Take my dear friend Amanda (Yes, some of the names are bogus). 13 years ago she was diagnosed with liver failure.California told her she'd wait years to reach the top of the transplant list  - a death sentence. Did she curl up in a ball and give up?  Nope. She picked up and moved to another state where she could have the transplant in a timely fashion. She had the transplant and has never looked back.  She's alive and kicking with us here today.

Then there's my buddy Chuck. He was diagnosed with a Class 4 GBM brain tumor, given 2 months to live. The doctor told him NO ONE survives this type of tumor, that treatment was hopeless. Chuck did  surgery, radiation and chemo TWICE  - even when the doctors said it was hopeless. He took alternative treatments. A hypnotherapist imprinted the belief that the doctors were wrong. They were wrong. At six years and counting, he's the longest living survivor of this form of cancer in the world.

How about some people who took a crisis and turned it into an opportunity to serve?

Angela and Connor were splitting up when Connor was diagnosed with advanced AIDS (transfusion) and a massive bacterial infection that means certain death. He had maybe 3 months.(By the way, Angela is negative!). Connor had no one to take care of him - so Angela stayed. She refused to see him dying - wrote pages in her journals, visualized his recovery. He was as sick as any human could be for over a year, but Angela stuck to her guns. Even when he hit 130 pounds (from 240) she kept seeing his recovery. 2 YEARS later, he turned the corner. Now? He's alive and healthy as a mule.

My new friend Deb, has been taking care of her parents for almost nine years now.  She's exhausted but still going. I know how she feels - I did the same thing for my folks. We were talking about how many people see their parents' aging as a crisis needing to be 'handled.' That's strange to us - we both saw our folks' decline as an opportunity to give back, a chance to say Thank You.  (Note: Until you've done long term care-taking I don't think you can understand how much fortitude it takes to find that sense of opportunity. Far too few ever do find it.)

Then there's my friend Colin. There was an orphanage that needed funding badly, facing a bleak future for those kids. Colin saw an opportunity to change those kids' lives.  He's contributing his time and intellect to Wisdom Note, a fabulous website where for $1 per week you can share the gift of inspirational Wisdom Notes based on fabulous books. Colin didn't wring his hands, call a meeting to discuss how to change the students' plight.  He stepped up to the opportunity!  

What do these people's choices have to do with business?

Everything!

When it comes right down to it, whether in our business or personal lives, we choose what we see and how we respond. We are responsible for our attitude. 

Want an example? Take Nintendo. They were over a year behind Microsoft and Sony in the gaming market. That's the kiss of death in such a fast moving space - which is what everyone told the folks at Nintendo. I know the consultants who told them to back off and go another direction (not me!). But the Nintendo gang just knew there was an opportunity in that gaming market. They kept to their guns.

The Wii was launched 18 months after Microsoft XBox and Sony PS3. It surpassed both of their sales within a year to become the hottest seller and lead the market. Nintendo has never looked back - they just keep focusing forward, believing int that next opportunity.

There's no strategic methodology, no magic business formula to finding opportunity in a crisis.

Sure, there are ways to stimulate new thinking, brainstorm new approaches.  I shared some of those yesterday. When it comes right down to it, there's only one sure way to find opportunity.

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