Maintaining Ideals in the Real World

"I just found out there's no such thing as the real world, just a lie you've got to rise above." John Mayer, from the 2002 hit song, "No Such Thing" It's not very hard to be idealistic in our youth. In addition to the energetic spirit that comes from having your whole life in front of you, there is also a hefty dose of naiveté that keeps obstacles hidden from view. But as we enter the "real world" and those obstacles rear their ugly heads, naiveté tends to fade quickly, and idealism often goes with it. But then there are those special individuals who seem to buck the trend. Faced with the same obstacles, they lose their naiveté just like everyone else, but the spirit of idealism grows instead of faltering as they accumulate the skills and experience needed to pursue their dreams with ever-increasing vigor and effectiveness. As young idealists determined to stay that way, we've sought to discover the secrets of these wizards, who move through life with wisdom and grace, undisturbed by challenges and disappointments. We thank the staff of The EDGE for giving us this opportunity to humbly share a few of the nuggets of wisdom, passed on by the masters, that have worked well for us. 1) Remember that you control the effort that you put into something, but not the result that comes out. Since naiveté comes with the territory, you're bound to envision things as being easier and less complex than they actually are. So how do you keep from feeling "beat up" when they turn out to be more difficult, and change takes much longer than you hoped it would? The best strategy is to remember that you are responsible for doing your best, but not for effecting any specific outcome, because there are always many factors outside your control. These outside factors are part of the world that you must navigate through, but they need not have any bearing on who you are. Instead of getting frustrated by them, ask yourself what you can do differently to overcome them more effectively. A helpful exercise is to take any outward goals that you have set and turn them into inward ones. Instead of "the O&P profession will provide adequate care for all who need it," try "I will be willing to make personal sacrifices to help patients who cannot afford adequate care, making a difference locally and setting an example for the rest of the profession." Turning your focus to your own efforts puts you back in control and opens up your creative energy, making you much more effective at dealing with the obstacles that block the desired outcome. It is one of life's great paradoxes that those who can maintain their focus on gentle, continuous self-improvement, instead of demanding specific changes in the system or in others, are the most successful at making a real difference in the world. 2) Recognize problems as opportunities, failures as points of growth, and successes as gifts that don't belong to you. Throughout the life cycle of an individual, an organization, or even an entire profession, obstacles and challenges are the means by which growth is achieved. Instead of wishing that problems didn't arise, meet them face-to-face with a spirit of adventure and discovery. Each obstacle is a chance to learn something new, and each failure simply means that you still have more to learn from the current situation. When you do succeed, don't revel in it. Be grateful for the strength and wisdom that helped you through a difficult time, and turn your eyes forward to meet the next challenge. The O&P profession currently faces a number of obstacles, from shrinking reimbursements to encroachment by other fields to debates over certification standards. It's easy to bemoan these difficulties, but they are also the catalysts that are encouraging professionals to be more creative in patient care and more efficient in business processes, pushing manufacturers to develop and deliver their products at a lower cost, and helping everyone to realize the need for unity and compromise. Because there are many individuals and organizations that are willing to meet these challenges head on, the profession will emerge leaner, stronger, and more capable of dealing with the challenges that 21st-century patient care will bring. 3) Find what motivates you and use it, while also recognizing that it will change with time. Many people will say that money is a bad motivation for getting into the healthcare field, by which they mean either that you're not likely to make as much as you hope, or that you are in some way violating the profession's ethical standards by seeking personal achievement and financial gain. However, motivations arise as a natural response to a whole array of life conditions, and changing your own motivations unnaturally is at best problematic, and at worst, impossible. So instead of conforming to someone else's ideas about what should motivate you, seek to discover what actually does motivate you, and then use that to be the best that you can be according to your current definition of success. At the same time, stay open to the fact that motivations will shift as life conditions change. For example, many people enter the O&P field because they find the job interesting and hope that it will provide them with a stable income to support their family and ensure a comfortable future. These are very respectable goals that a young practitioner, technician, or assistant will likely achieve over time if they are hardworking and committed. But what happens after these goals are reached? If the person does not remain open to a shift in motivations, they may either become bored or develop an unhealthy drive for excessive money or status that leads to unhappiness. If they instead remain watchful over their own motivations, they may experience a natural awakening of humanistic values, as a strong desire to help others becomes the driving force. And after years of being happy serving each individual patient in the best way they can, that same person may develop a new motivation to take on a leadership role, not for the sake of status, but rather to oversee the progress of the profession and help ensure a successful future for patients and professionals alike. 4) Enjoy yourself. You've chosen a career in a field that has many wonderful advantages. You might not get filthy rich, but you probably won't have too much trouble feeding your family. You may not save the world, but you'll make it a better place for the individuals that trust you with their care. And the profession might continue to struggle in defining its role in the tumultuous world of healthcare services, but progress is being made each day, due to the creativity and hard work of many wonderful people. So remind yourself each day of how lucky you are, and smile as often as you can. It's amazing how the willingness to smile can shift your perspective and make a difficult situation seem not so bad after all. Perhaps most important of all is to remember that true wisdom is only gained through experience. We hope these little tidbits are helpful in encouraging you to think about your own brand of idealism, and we wish you luck in discovering the secrets that work for you. If we meet along the way, we hope that you'll endeavor to share them with us as we've had the pleasure of doing here with you. Jon Shinn is Lead Project Architect for oandp.com, Gainesville, Florida. Contact: jon@oandp.com Keri Blythe Shinn, CO, is clinical director at O&P Clinical Technologies, Gainesville, Florida, and a clinical consultant for the tools, services, and information provided by oandp.com. Contact keri@oandp.com

Maintaining Ideals in the Real World

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Amputee Coalition of America Releases Senior Step

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