If you can't avoid it, keep to the eye of the storm
If you’re like me, you probably saw the clouds moving in early. You knew what they meant, but no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t avoid getting caught in the storm. It usually starts with that little tickle at the back of your neck — something’s wrong, storms a comin’.
You check around you for some sign. A hint as to where it’s coming from. Anything to tell you how bad it’s going to be. Even if you can’t see a sign, you just know something’s coming.
Then it hits. Maybe you had the benefit of some lead time, probably not. You’re caught out and no matter which way you turn, you’re deep in it. Try as you might, you’re going to have to endure it.
So you struggle to find cover. Some way to pretend this storm has nothing to do with you. It helps for a little while, but the storm weighs you down. It starts to affect how you view everything. This dark gloomy storm starts to be your dark gloomy filter, making everything seem dull, maybe even foreboding. You feel trapped. It seems to go on forever. So you retreat further into yourself, trying to block it out. Trying to get a grip.
Slowly, you start to accept the storm but stop reacting to it. Suddenly, you can see clearly. You think, “is the storm gone?” A quick look around shows you dark storm clouds still surround you. You might think you’re dreaming, but you’re not. It’s the eye of the storm. It’s the calm amid the tumult. The center of your chaos.
It’s where you need to be.
While you keep yourself calm in the center of the storm, you can thrive. Not just survive. Don’t panic when the storm hits. They can be bad, but you’ll survive it–you’ve survived all that came before. You know there’s no use running, you probably won’t be able to outrun it for long. Keep your head about you–calm and focused. The storm will rage. You’ll let it rage. You’ll be fine.
Remember: All storms eventually burn themselves out.
