Is it wise to make a lane change at the same time you are facing a crises?

Instant karma’s gonna get you, gonna look you right in the face. Better get yourself together darlin’, join the human race.

John Lennon

Make your own luck

I often think about how lucky I’ve been to have control of the timing and nature of my lane change. When my division was bought, I was blessed with good health and had few obligations that restricted my choices. So even though I had opportunities to take another senior position in the cable industry, I chose instead to downshift to a slower pace and consider other options.  

In our book, we profiled several people who were poster children for teaching us that no one should take his or her good fortune for granted. At any time in our lives, our health, career or relationships may face major disruption. And when that interruption occurs, is your judgment impaired to the point that completely reinventing yourself is out of the question? 

Two profiles in our book suggest that’s not the case:  

o       Suzy Parker’s husband had a bicycling accident on the eve of their retirement that left him a quadriplegic and required her to become his primary caregiver. Nonetheless, she accomplished an incredible lane change while facing this crisis.

o       Tom Werman was summarily pushed from the recording industry before he was ready to call it quits. Rather than finding a position in a related entertainment field, he chose to totally reinvent himself.

I still look back with amazement at Tom and Suzy; they both had a resiliency that I hope I can muster should I face a sudden collision in my path.

But I wonder: Is it smart to change lanes in response to a crisis? Or while in the middle of a crisis? 

Having asked that, I do see the value of getting reengaged and not waiting around for something to fall in your lap. That is when things start to happen for you. I’m thinking about our visit with Gayle Greer, whose lane change has already been covered on Oprah and in another book, Hard Won Wisdom.  

She had moved to be closer to family and was sorting through various business and community activities, when her grandbaby died and shortly thereafter her husband died as well. Dealing with the terrible sense of loss, she learned that is was OK not to have a calendar full of things to do. But she knew that she wouldn’t feel better until she did something. Getting reengaged, albeit slowly and deliberately, is what helped her find meaning and emerge from her grief. 

There’s another woman whose story I’d like to share with you—and her email name says it all: AdventureKitty.  

Kit Chamberlain has long been known for her sense of adventure. Her willingness to take risks caused her more conservative high school beau, Chip, to walk away from their relationship, thinking her lifestyle was “scary as hell.” 

Kit was always the adventurous single; meanwhile, Chip stayed in Rochester, NY, married, and had three children. Later, when Kit discovered Chip was single again, she boldly called him up. They were married three months later. 

Their union opened many doors for Kit. It was through Chip’s family that she met Dorthea Ross, the daughter of a founding Eastman Kodak executive. Dotsie, as she was known, had been a silent movie actress, sculptress, pilot, and big game hunter. Just Kit’s kind of girl! Dotsie had recently formed the Dorthea Haus Ross Foundation , to help children in crises all over the world. Chip’s dad served on its board.  

As Kit hit her mid-forties, she faced her own crisis—one that would lead her back to The Ross Foundation. Diagnosed with thyroid cancer only a year after her sister died of breast cancer, Kit turned to alternative health care practices. Her exploration of energy healing, mediation, and introspection helped her cope with her fears, probing the depths of her feelings surrounding suffering.  

As she battled through the cancer, she was asked to become a trustee for The Ross Foundation after Dotsie’s death. Kit says that her renewed sense of life that allowed her to see this foundation role as a gift—and a second chance. Eventually Chip became a trustee as well. 

Kit continues her adventures, but now she does it with a greater purpose. She visits Thailand, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, and Guatemala, overseeing the award of 40-50 grants annually. 

Kit’s process for dealing with her personal crisis was simple. She opened herself up to the forces of serendipity.  

Her hopeful disposition, honed by overcoming her own suffering, allowed her to recognize the gift she’d been offered—one that she now keeps giving to others.

Do you have a story of making your own luck in response to personal crisis? Or did you open yourself up to the karmic forces of life? We’d love to hear from people who creatively dealt with life’s misfortunes. By sharing your story, you just might help someone else facing a crises.

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