A brief discussion that crisis is more than just an event. It is a situational opportunity.
Crisis stages are like the stages of grief. The grief process of feeling feelings and the thinking about thoughts. Specifically examining your thoughts of what the hell, what was this, and what can I do? Which is the opportunity for evaluation, learning and appreciation. It is a situational opportunity of letting go, forgiveness and gratitude and acceptance. In the acceptance is where a person can then turn around from looking at what has happened to facing forward. Attending to “the now” are where opportunities emerge and present.
Four Stages
Stage 1 is the explosion of the bomb… the crisis. Often the crisis entraps a person in an event of WTH and WTF of chaos, destruction, etc. This is where folks can get trapped in the PTSD response of “reliving” (i.e., focusing on) the explosion.
Stage 2 recognizing that you survived. It is about situational awareness and triage. First, check yourself, how hurt are you, breathe deeply, and attend to life-threatening injuries. And then triage. That is now that you continue to be alive, evaluate and determine an effective response. This is simply reorientation from the crisis to “what to do now?”
Stage 3 This is the grief process of evaluation, learning, appreciation and acceptance. It is like being at the beach where waves of feelings and thoughts wash over you. But you continue to survive. After a while, you learn to float, swim, and realize they are waves of healing. They become swells and waves of gratitude, compassion and grace.
Stage 4 continues not only the rehab and rebuilding process of “now what?” Which is essentially asking yourself (now that you have survived)… is again asking the three questions of: Who am I? What is my passion? And what am I going to do about it? It is the opportunity and determination of how to be. The phoenix rising from the ashes.
Crises are points where you to take a detour into yourself. An opportunity to learn, change and get ready for a new adventure. It is not the dark, but the revelation that you can simply flip a switch and turn on your light. An awareness that you can transform a crisis by being light… instead of continuing to wallow in the dark. This is like a toddler discovering a light switch. Flicking the switch on and off a few times… yes it works! Then knowing if it’s dark or they can’t see. Flip the switch.
Blessings,
Tim