Getting through crisis

Crisis is a common occurrence.  
Crisis can happen to all, to some or to you.  
Crisis for me happened when my son-in-law, died by suicide.  This is an area we had never been in.  We had not had a loss like this or as devastating to our family before.  I mean, I had grandparents who both died of old age, my father died from a heart attack but after being in an assisted living facility for several years.  All expected things.  My son-in-law was married to my daughter since they were teens, they had 5 children, he was a leader of the company and a mentor to many.  He left a ripple effect that impacted family and friends.This was a huge family and work crisis. We are still trying to navigate that loss and everyone has to find their own turning point.  
The best definition of crisis is an intense time of difficulty requiring a decision that will create a turning point.  A crisis is several consecutive bad days that you can’t walk away from.

So, this COVID crisis is not the worst experience I have had.  I have known other crises as well.  Did you know that in 1918-1920 the Flu of that time was killing one million people a week!  In 2000 there was the big Y2K crisis.  Everyone thought the world would stop.  Time couldn’t go on, as a matter of fact on the island of St. Croix is a 20’ tall sundial at the tip of the island.  If time stopped they wanted a way to still be able to tell time.  2001 was the Anthrax crisis.  You feared opening mail.  If there wasn’t a return address of a person you knew on the letter you didn’t dare open it!  I think this was a ploy to actually push email instead of what they call nowadays as snail mail. 2008 a financial crisis.  We lost thousands of dollars in the stock market crash and the housing market crashed.  We didn’t think there would ever be a way to regain the money we had invested into our retirement.  Some sadly did not overcome it.  2015 ISIS, we are still dealing with this crisis.  It continues to evolve and evade us; while continuing to keep us hostage to the situation.  There are minor to major everyday crises that we have to endure or work through.  Running out of gas on the freeway, a flat tire, no toilet paper, not enough protective gear, not enough food, a loved one in the hospital that you cannot visit or stay with, the death of a loved one that you cannot share in the mourning with others. Isolation
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Everyone is a leader.  You may be a leader of a company, leader of your friends or family, leader of your neighbors, or a church leader, a parent leading your children.  Leaders are people who influence others, nothing more, nothing less.  Who do you influence?  

Good leadership is intentional.  A bad leader precipitates a faster fall, while good leadership offers steadiness and perseverance.  This crisis as in other crises will pass.  You will start to see a time that is more favorable down the road.  The impact of the duration is dependent on what you place your values in.  You have to be able to work toward staying strong and steady through the duration.  When you enter a dark tunnel, at the beginning you have to move slowly because you can’t see what’s ahead of you.  Once you get to the middle and can see the light up ahead you can move forward a little easier, you can still stumble but keeping your eyes on the light at the end of the tunnel is easier than when you started or entered the tunnel.  Once you get to the end of the tunnel you know that the light was your guide.  Your job then as a leader is to shine your light out to others behind you who are following you.  Lift them up, illuminate their path, serve them and help them move forward to reach the end of the crisis or the tunnel.  Once they reach the end of the tunnel, encourage them to shine their light back to help someone else. 
Alone we can not.  Together we CAN.   
How we view things is how we do things.  A leader is someone who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.  The secret to your success is determined by your daily agenda.  
Stop right now.  Write down those you influence, those you lead.  Then determine how to lift them up, serve them well and to lead them out with your light shining.  I love the Toby Mac song, Lights Shine Bright.  

How can you let your lights shine bright?  Don’t exaggerate the crisis, be someone's turning point in the crisis.  

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