EMT

As we approached the inauguration of Donald Trump and the Women’s Marches, I felt scared about the safety and possible terrorist threats for Americans, and others around the globe.

I’ve lived in New York City for more than twenty years. After experiencing 9/11 and its aftermath, I learned to have a thicker skin. Actually, it is a cognitive emotional skill that can be developed with repetition. Once formed, it operates almost automatically.

On November 28, 2016, I was in a taxi crash with a Mack truck. Since then, I’ve worn an immobilization brace 24/7 on my right knee for an MCL tear.

Friends say, “Everything happens for a reason” or, “You have such bad luck.” Why bad luck? Because I had two knee replacements and my knees crashed into the taxi partition. Left for an hour to fend for myself, the police and EMT came, pulled me out and carried me onto the stretcher.

My trauma wore off and my thick skin took over. Remembering what my father, a prosecutor told me 20-years ago, “Pictures helped me win my case.” I begged the EMT to take photos of what looked like a scene in a movie.

I over researched MCL tears and discovered football players take six-to-eight months to heal, which led to several crying bouts, and then I readjusted after about ten days. This is my situation. How can I work around it?

My bathtub/shower is too high, so I wash my hair in the kitchen sink. Grocery shopping is out, so I order out. When friends offer help, I take it, instead of feeling as if I’m burdening them. My bed is now my desk so my leg can always be elevated.

In difficult times, keeping ourselves mentally healthy can be a challenge. Initially, I thought, how can I work? Then I changed my thinking to, how can I stay connected to my career? Writing, participating in chat sessions, LinkedIn groups and improving my website became my new goals.

I started exploring lead generation tools. With so many recommendations, such as, Neil Patel’s https://sumome.com/ and https://www.hellobar.com/, https://www.hubspot.com/, https://www.salesforceiq.com/, https://www.google.com/analytics/analytics/ – ?modal_active=none, I didn’t know where to begin.

I watched Deirdre Breakenridge’s http://www.deirdrebreakenridge.com/5-media-lessons-to-guide-you-in-2017/, participated in her #PRStudChat and had been following her for a while. What keeps me sane and always moving forward is my love of learning and helping others.

When I discovered Deirdre too is a #ForeverStudent, I thought, why not ask someone for advice who is ahead of me? I contacted Deirdre, after a while, I knew she was the perfect mentor for me. Deirdre’s first assignment was to write about my current experience.

“Why? I never write about myself.” Deirdre said, “Your story is inspiring.”

Recently, after answering questions on https://www.quora.com/, I received this email message: “Thank you, Wendy. Your questions and answers made meaningful contributions towards our mission of sharing and growing the world’s knowledge.”

Last year, I was a guest lecturer at several colleges. I sent a 20-question anonymous survey to better understand my audience. One question was, do you know the difference between marketing, marketing communications, public relations, advertising, social and digital media? Half the students wrote, “No,” another third answered, “N/A.”

“If you are in the business of communications, no and not applicable are not acceptable answers. C’mon guys you have Google. You can look it up.  When I was a student, we didn’t have that ability,” I said.

My biggest piece of advice is: we live in a digital era, with the ability to use digital platforms to communicate, collaborate and drive our personal growth.  

Whatever your circumstances might be, laid-up, looking for a career change, making a life change, going through a divorce, empty-nest syndrome, need extra revenue or looking for answers, research, read, learn from others ahead of you and help others.

“The more things you read, the more that you’ll know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” –Dr. Suess