Sooner or later disaster happens to all of us with a literal or figurative storm slicing through our lives and plunging us into confusion, chaos, immense pain, and unimaginable grief. 

I’ve had my share of storms in life, but my latest maelstrom left me shaking my head and saying, “Nope! Nope! Nope! I didn’t sign up to be the crisis manager of this situation. (As much as I like her in the television show Scandal, I don’t want to be the Olivia Pope of Vermont).

My new reality felt surreal, like I was the manager of a baseball team, but had suddenly found myself up to bat at the bottom of the third inning with the whole team depending on me. “Who puts a manager up to bat? How the heck did this happen?”

Standing at the plate with the first ball hurling toward me and my mind a total jumble, I tried to convince myself the situation wasn’t real. As I felt the ball whoosh past me, I quickly realized denial was not an option. “So much for your plans, Buttercup!” I thought. “You’ve got no choice. Swing away.”

I wish I could tell you I hit the second ball over the fence, saved the day, and went back to my managerial position. I didn’t save anything. However, I did manage to tap the third ball and get on base, so my team is still alive and there is hope.

Someday, you’ll face your own unique disaster, and I guarantee it will come when you least expect it. So permit me to share a few things I’ve learned from solid personal experience:

1. Just BREATHE. In through your nose and out through your mouth until the panic subsides. This may take a few days, a few weeks, or even a few months, depending on the crisis.
2. Get out of bed, put your feet on the floor, shower, get dressed, and do what you need to do for the day. I know. It’s not as easy as it sounds at first. Curled up in fetal position is what you’ll want to do, but it won’t help. Know things will get better in time. Remember, how you behave and manage a crisis matters. It really does. I have only one word. D-I-G-N-I-T-Y, people. D-I-G-N-I-T-Y!
3. Stay in the present moment as much as possible. Don’t wallow in grief and self-pity. The only way out is to move through all the pain you are feeling now. Stop asking why. Trust there is a lesson to be learned somewhere in the mayhem.
4. Connect with loved ones. It’s reassuring to hear their voices and to know they’re out there, wishing you well and thinking about you. 
5. Find your new normal. Your life has changed and so have you. You are stronger, and wiser, and braver than you thought you were.

After you complete these steps, you’ve made it through the worst. You have my compassion and respect. After all, we’re now members of the same club.

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