Second opinion

Seeking a second opinion on matters that are considered significant is prudent - something that we all tend to do. For that matter, we tend to seek second opinions on almost everything - just to get a different version.

A family that I knew took a journey with their long suffering child to meet an Ayurveda doctor. After the diagnosis, the doctor recommended that the child undergo a month long treatment at the facility which involved intensive physical rehabilitation. This would mean that the child would miss school for that interval and the parents would need to make alternate arrangements at work. When I met them, I could see that they had already made the decision and were preparing for the move. "Wouldn't you want to take a second opinion?", I asked. They looked at me and said - "You don't need a second opinion with this doctor".

"Wow - how cool is that ! " Imagine being so good at something that folks don't feel the need to take a second opinion.

I dug deep and asked myself what I was good at which was at a 'no second opinion required' level, and confess that I have struggled to find a true answer. The best I could come up with was 'anticipation' - a sense of where something is going. For e.g. I seem to know where the movie is headed or who the killer might be. This sense also helps me with my work with clients, to prepare them for stuff that could happen 6-12 months ahead. However, in this case, we can only work with probability and not certainty - not quite what I was looking for.

Looking around, I see someone around me who I could easily place here - my wife is a kindergarten teacher and a 'child whisperer'. Ask her why your toddler is throwing tantrums and she will tell you exactly why. No need to go elsewhere.

Do you have something that doesn't require a second opinion?

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