I did an experiment this evening. I asked my six year old daughter to hold her hand against mine. She looked a bit puzzled but was curious as this was something mommy usually does not ask her to do, out of the blue. She cautiously put her hand against mine. I applied pressure to push her hand back and she pushed mine back.

Of course this was a load of fun for her and we spent the next 10 minutes with the hand pushing exercise eventually enrolling dad in the fun as well! I wanted to try this exercise because Richard Pike, CEO of Adcorp, delivered a tremendously heartwarming and poignant recollection of his life story at our offices in Sandton. He demonstrated this hand push back example, to illustrate that as human beings, if we are pushed, we push back.

This was incredibly interesting and it stuck with me the entire day. Where do you push and pull in your life and do you even realize it when you are doing it? Richard has written his life lessons in a book called “Tangled Toes, Pins & Needles”. Richard was involved in a very bad car accident at the age of 19 , when he was at the prime of his academic and sporting career and about to start his young adult life. I’m relieved that he spoke about the book because I am squeamish about these things. Richard is also such a brilliant speaker. Not one note was required. It was all the more vivid as here stood the man, recalling what he went through, the experiences, the reflections and the life lessons.

People often spend little time acknowledging how good CEO’s are, they are also people who have endured things. Richard’s story touches a nerve (excuse the pun). Like, when you see a person in a wheelchair, what is your immediate reaction? Do you stop and speak to them, do you avert your eyes and get well out of their way. Do you look the person in the eye ? Do you even see a person there or just a wheelchair? Richard dwelled on his behavior and the reactions he provoked in the staff whilst on his remarkable journey and through his rehabilitation. His aggressive and obnoxious behavior resulted in staff treating him with disdain. Interesting. The pushing hand example again. Richard’s story illustrated above all that we can choose to be what we want to be in life. Bitter and twisted by life’s roller coasting or in a loving and serene space, living life to the max, no matter what has happened to us.

We often hear the phrase “get the best out of people”. What’s so interesting about this, is that in order to do this, one truly needs to get to a place of honesty and get the best out of yourself first. By giving the best, you get the best back! Richard’s key lessons shared included – living with no regrets, dealing with facts as opposed to speculating or worrying, not taking life too seriously, to take responsibility (not whinge and complain) or simply put “dealing with it”.

Richard’s journey from being told he would never row again, never run again and probably never walk again, to the man standing in front of us, at the peak of his CEO career took us on that journey that is is about what he did with his situation, just getting on with life. Richard has shared something very special through his story. He flipped a switch in himself. Goal setting and aspiring towards a future is also very important and key to recovery and success. The power of the mind. In order to heal, he felt the emotion of what it would be like to walk again, he worked at it. He acted. You can see this in all walks of life. My personal trainer also talks about the power of the mind. He turns a client away and tells them to stop wasting their time and money if they come with an attitude of “I can’t” if you say :”I can’t do this”, well that’s exactly what’s gonna happen. No amount of external force or persuading will do it for you, if your mind isn’t in the right space.

Richard’s story is about finding courage to face a situation head-on, with determination in spite of dreaded obstacles. I’m glad he took the risk to get out of that wheelchair and get active 30 years ago. It has served its purpose : he’s CEO of Adcorp today and he’s got quite a big job to do. 2011 is not for the fainthearted.

I’m excited, Blessed and humbled to be part of the Adcorp Group as we continue to serve and uplift fellow South Africans in achieving their Employment and recruitment objectives.

~ Karin Morgans