Why me?

COVID19 cliff: the way of COVID bankruptcies is coming. It includes household names like Hertz, Cirque du Soleil, Dean & Deluca, GNC, True Religion Apparel, J. Crew, Neiman Marcus and ALDO.

Surely we are very far from any "settling down" of this pandemic and world economy. It is thus imperative today for leaders to know how to navigate these turbulent times. There are no miracle cure, no quick fixes.

Some leaders withhold bad news because they are more worried about being liked than dealing with issues that affect everyone. The ones who are frank and transparent become trusted and the team, in spite of uncertain times, remains unified. 

Be visible. Let your people see you leading. Leaders can be quietly competent, but they must be visible by providing assurance, direction and inspiration. 

Our ability to handle life's challenges is a measure of our strength of character. Loss of a job, the death of a loved one, the failure of a relationship, your sudden storm is upon you and the pain and fear is so overwhelming. Many people feel lost and alone when they are going through bad times. No matter how difficult your life may become, no matter how hard it gets, there is always reason to keep on going and fighting because no defeat is permanent. Aristotle once said, "To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold."

"Paul, you're either crazy or oversimplifying the problem of pain," some may say. "It's hard to believe that every problem has a silver lining." After all, what good can come from losing your leg and being on drugs or some other serious trials?

Not long ago, I met someone who had just lost the love of her life. She was in pieces, literally broken. She was in a very, very bad state. I imagine the pain she felt, and also the question that must have come up time and again in her mind when trying to find a possible explanation for the inexplicable, to justify the unjustifiable, to understand a tragedy that has no meaning: "Why me?"

Life is unstable. What worked yesterday, today no longer does. Throughout our life, we will experience problems and crisis, there is no question about that, but the good news is that we can learn to manage and over come them. Every mountain has a peak. Every valley has a low point. No one is up all the time, neither are they down all the time. No problem is permanent. Problems do end. They do go away. They are all resolved in time. Storms will give way to the sun. Your storm will pass.

The key is to tenaciously dig in and hold on until the light breaks, the tide turns and the times change for the better. Often the only choice we have is to be strong.

One way to do that is to trust in a power greater than yourself. There is one lesson to be learned, only one. It is a simple lesson. God's delay is not God's denial.