Coping with Crisis

6/17/17
Dear Future Family,
            When you think of the word crisis, what do you think of? At the beginning of this week, I would have probably said something very similar to how google defines it: “a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger.” This is correct. However, with a little change in perspective, it could mean much more.
            In class this week, I learned that the Chinese character for crisis is: 危机. When translated, these characters stand for danger and opportunity. So, if we take the first definition, it does include danger, but the beauty of the Chinese translation is its inclusion of the word opportunity. This changes the word crisis from one that can seem unpleasant and daunting to one that is more tangible and hopeful.
            Just think about it using this scenario for a minute. You are newly married and barely scraping by even though you are working two jobs and your spouse is working one. You are nervous about being able to pay of this month’s rent, but you know that your pay check will be coming a week before the rent is due. You feel a little more optimistic as you walk into work until your boss comes up and hands you a pay check for the hours you have worked so far this month and tells you that they can’t afford to keep you on any more. Your heart sinks and your stomach is churning as you walk out the door and head for home. You begin to feel increasingly anxious as you think about how you are going to tell your spouse, how you are going to pay your rent and the other impacts that this is going to have on your already stressful life. Now, you have a couple of options. If you see this crisis in the light of the google translation, you can see yourself as a victim and react as such. You were treated unfairly, you already have so much to deal with, you may start to turn the blame on others or yourself which makes you more and more unhappy.  On the other hand, if you see this crisis in the light of the Chinese translation, you may have a perspective that allows you to see the facts as they really are. You will see that your boss had to let you go because their business was also facing similar financial difficulty, you will be able to see that it really is no one’s fault, you will be able to see that it something that you cannot control and that it is an opportunity to learn and grow.
            Obviously, it will be the easier choice to be upset and accept a role as victim in a crisis, but it there is a far greater benefit in choosing to see a crisis as an opportunity for growth. I love this quote by Nelson Mandela: “I never lose. I either win or learn.” You only lose when you choose to. It is ultimately up to you.

Sydney

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