There are times in our lives when we have an event that is transformational. Many of us have them to varying degrees in our careers. There will always be a great success story that comes to mind in a patient that you helped beat the odds. There are equally impactful stories where we may not have been nearly as successful, perhaps failure was the result.
No matter the event, these circumstances often occur randomly. For instance, think about a time when you happened to be on duty when a transformational event occurred at your job. You just so happened to be on call that day, you answered the phone at that moment, or you were trying to help people. A random event in time was designed especially for YOUR purpose.
“You may feel angst, regret, fear, and a myriad of other emotions, but change will come.”
In my latest podcast episode, Dr. Brian H. Williams explained how a random event in his community changed his life and purpose. He was the trauma surgeon on call during the Dallas Sniper shootings in 2016, where a domestic terrorist killed several policemen. This event thrusted him into national headlines in the middle of a conversation that he did not want to be public about in his early career. In addition to helping those caught in the tragedy, his purpose became to have conversations on a national level around race, violence, and medicine.
Sentinel events in life can be extremely stressful (I know mine was.) However, they are a sign of great change beginning to occur. You may feel angst, regret, fear, and a myriad of other emotions, but change will come. When in the middle of these challenging situations, it is important to step back and take a wider perspective. Although the circumstances may not make sense, look for opportunity to enhance or spread your voice, gifts, and talents to others. Keeping your main objective as helping people makes this process easier to manage.
Even in the throes of chaos, keep your eyes open. New opportunities often present during unexpected times. Even with failure, success will follow. It is easy to get discouraged, but keep moving on. Take a step of action today and every day. Victory will come soon enough.
