Limitations

As a young woman, Meghan Wilson suffered a devastating accident that left her paralyzed from the shoulders down.  She became a quadriplegic overnight.  But Meghan persevered.  Following a grueling undergraduate course of study, it took two tries, but she applied for and was finally accepted into the University of Pittsburgh’s rigorous, competitive and highly acclaimed MD/PhD program.  In 2013, she graduated with the dual degrees. 

Meghan commented on her new role as a physician:

“Every physician brings [both the assets and limitations of] their own experience to their professional work as a doctor.  I can’t speak to what other people can’t bring [ … my own limitations are obvious … ], but I think that the particular things that make me a little bit unique and that will enrich my experience being a physician are

that I have so much experience being a patient.”

Now I’m going to ask the obvious question:

What is the nature of your personal limitation(s)?

·         Physical?

·         Mental?

·         Emotional/Psychological?

·         Constraints by family or social commitments?

·         Habits?

·         Lack of experience?

·         Prejudice?

·         Matters of conscience :: Lines you won’t cross?

·         Matters of religion :: Lines you won’t cross?

Each of us has a constellation of things we can’t or won’t do.  Some of those things involve bettering ourselves and our circumstances and some involve putting ourselves or others at risk.   

However, most of us – “Princes” and “Princesses” that we are – are patently unaware of or oblivious to our most defining/confining personal limitations … not to mention our “fatal flaws”. 

So how do we “rig” favorable outcomes with these and numerous other invisible cards (such as unforeseeable challenges/hurdles, prejudice, etc.) stacked against us?

Principally by demonstrating dogged determination and going out of our way to be useful – limitations/schlimitations be damned!

The Russell Kentucky High School academic team was honored on the Kentucky Legislature House floor March 17, 2011 for its victory in the 2011 high school competition for the Governor's Cup. It was the fifth Governor's Cup championship for the school.  Russell Principal, Alan Thompson, said. "Of the championships we've won, this probably is the surprise [since they lacked a true “superstar”].  But when you get a group that's hungry, it pays off. They outworked people."  They simply “didn’t know any better” … they did not presume how gifted or privileged or talented or predestined to glory they might be, so they just worked their tails off simply hoping to be somewhere in the running.  [Lexington Herald-Leader, Friday, March 18, 2011, Jim Warren]

The composite workings here include:

·         Having a stellar, Gold-Standard goal

·         Being “hungry” to see that goal realized

·         Withholding no effort

·         Persisting with dogged determination

·         Not “knowing any better” (than to build the strongest foundation possible)

·         Not compromising or accepting a “fall-back” option

Critical collateral synergies result.  The world-at-large aligns itself with traffic that’s obviously “going somewhere” and that has something meaningful to contribute.  Legions of people – from the Dean of the School of Medicine to faculty to fellow students to complete strangers – stepped in to help Meghan Wilson achieve her goal.  And faculty, coaches, friends, family and fellow students at Russell HS went out of their way to help the academic team …went out of their way … and came “out of nowhere” to help!    

Understand that your limitations don’t need to be all that limiting.  If you have the composite workings in order, collateral synergies will help fill in the blanks.  If Meghan Wilson and a bunch of unsung students from Russell, KY can rise to the top in their respective pursuits, you can, too.  Quartermaster