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In my work, I'm constantly helping clients work through "the storm" in their lives, both personally and professionally. What I call the storm is the hard parts of our lives-the people, projects, issues, and environment that make us struggle.
It's common to look at the storm in other people's lives and think they just need to be more resilient, have grit, and make a change. But when the storm descends on us, we get enveloped by darkness. We get scared, feel pain, and want it to go away as quickly as possible.
From my perspective as a coach, however, the storm is a gift and has come to tell us something very important. It's not to be ignored but embraced because it can be our moment to rise.
People usually have two very distinct responses to the storm: they either turn in to fight it or run and take cover. When they fight, they look at the problem from their own perspective and address it head-on, usually trying to move as fast as possible. When they run, they reduce its importance and try to calm the problem or flat out hide from it by pretending it isn't happening. And in most cases, neither response will work.
A problem can present itself in many ways. Sometimes it's abrupt and obvious, while other times it's slow and imperceptible. As a coach, I can often identify the storm from miles away when a person comes to coaching complaining of the different pains they are feeling in their lives. Their pain is not necessarily a direct link to the real problem but a symptom that will eventually manifest into a challenge.
When you're in the midst of a storm, here's how to face it so you can rise to the next level in your life.
The storm gives us time to reflect and see where we need to grow. It points out all of our triggers and pokes us awake to our sensitivities and unhealed wounds. All of that learning is lost if we focus on the issue or the person causing us pain. The more we reframe our thinking of the storm, seeing it instead as a message to dig into our struggles, the easier it becomes to tackle. This is a critical mindset shift that can change not just our work lives but our whole lives.