The Upside of Down
How John Ulsh Turned Survival Into Strength
In 2007, John Ulsh’s life changed forever when a head-on collision left him with a three percent chance of survival. After more than 45 surgeries and years of recovery, he learned that resilience isn’t about getting back to normal. It’s about building a new version of yourself.
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Sometimes life doesn’t give us a choice about when to change. John’s story is a powerful reminder that even in the hardest moments, we still get to decide how we move forward. What happens after survival is where the real shift begins.
THREE Things to Think About
Healing isn’t a straight line. Progress often hides inside the smallest, quietest moments.
Strength grows when you learn to love the process, not just the result.
True resilience is accepting that some pain never fully leaves, but you can still build a life around it.
TWO Things to Ask Yourself
What part of my story am I still trying to “get back” to instead of growing from?
Where can I replace perfection with patience this week?
ONE Thing to Try This Week
Write down one hard thing you’ve faced and list three ways it changed you for the better. Keep that list somewhere visible as proof that growth often comes disguised as struggle.
If this story moved you, share the episode with someone who might need it—or hit reply and tell me which part resonated most.
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I created a short-form podcast, “It’s Okay If…” Each episode is under three minutes long and provides a permission slip to be human. I’d be honored if you subscribed to the show. New episodes are released every Wednesday at noon ET.
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