Ground Zero

I don’t know about you, but when I hear the term “ground zero,” I think about the World Trade Center and September 11.  Like many, I watched it on television as it was happening. It changed our world and our daily lives, even today, years later.  I had the benefit of visiting Ground Zero recently. The reflecting pools are a beautiful tribute to the men and women who died there. 

How is that relevant to you today?  The term ground zero has a broader meaning – the point of a disaster that suffers the most severe damage. For me, it also means starting over, often from the ground up.

As with the terror of 9/11, recovering and starting over can be devastating.  But, beginning again can be a fresh introduction to opportunities not yet discovered. Rebuilding with knowledge and experience from the past can create stronger futures.

Again, how is this relevant to you?  Consider a few scenarios.

Losing an employee: Every day I get compliments from clients about how wonderful my receptionist is.  She truly is and I love her. She knows my quirks and anticipates my next need, and then fulfills it. But she won’t much longer, because she gave me her “notice.”  She’s moving on to her higher calling. While I support her completely, I am devastated because I have to start over. Begin again. New interviews. New training. New personality. Ground zero.  It will be hard and I don’t like the thought of any of it. However, I know that when I hired my assistant two years ago, I went through the same thing, and hiring her made my firm stronger, as will hiring our new candidate.  

Terminating a partnership: Working as a sole practitioner is hard. Making a business work with partners is even harder, in my opinion, and I’ve done both very successfully and unsuccessfully.  When you are alone, you can make all the decisions, good or bad. You own your successes and your failures.  When you have a partner, you share a lot but usually don’t have total control of anything.  It’s like a marriage. You give to get and weigh the benefits and consequences of each decision and action.  Like marriages, partnerships may end in the big “D” – dissolution. Where do you go from there? From Ground zero? 

What is your Ground zero?  What makes you feel as if you have to “start again?”  Do you run, hide, or give up?  You can, or you can find the new opportunity. Release the inhibitors of the past.  Find the strength and grow from the experience. Build something bigger, stronger and better.

Visit Ground Zero and find the blessing in the tragedy. Build your Freedom Tower.

If you haven't registered for our Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreat, there's still time.  But hurry!  The hotel is actively working on finding us an "overflow hotel" since there are only a few rooms left at the event hotel.  Click here to register.

Victoria L. Collier, Veteran of the United States Air Force, 1989-1995 and United States Army Reserves, 2001-2004.  Victoria is a Certified Elder Law Attorney through the National Elder Law Foundation, Author of 47 Secret Veterans Benefits for Seniors, Author of Paying for Long Term Care: Financial Help for Wartime Veterans: The VA Aid & Attendance Benefit, Founder of The Elder & Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC, Co-Founder of Lawyers With Purpose, Co-Founder of Veterans Advocate Group of America.