At any given moment life can introduce a situation of uncertainty and strife. These storms have no definite form and can range from a lite shower to a torrential downpour. It becomes imperative that one finds shelter in the midst of the storm. Now when I speak of shelter, I am not referring to a physical place of protection as these storms are not actual weather events. 

The shelter I speak of is security in one’s own ability to stand firm and overcome that which lies before you. The confidence in oneself in the face of adversity.  Depending on the situation and circumstances a person may experience a difficult time finding shelter in the midst of a storm. As every storm moves through 3 phases. The calm before the storm, landfall, and the aftermath. If you don’t find shelter in phase 1 then you’re going to have trouble in that which follows. 

Calm before the Storm

This phase serves as the warning sign of things to come. We must do our best to pay attention and make the necessary adjustments. It’s best to take this opportunity to make preparations and begin to fortify. The condition of your shelter in phase 3 rest on your efforts in phase 1. 

In our lives we are often faced with one challenge or another. Sometimes they spring up without warning and we don’t have a chance to brace ourselves. However, a lot of times we can see the hazard signs before we get into the problem. This is where we must start to fortify. 

Rationalize the situation and figure out the pros and cons. Do your best to keep a positive outlook and hope for the best. Next introduce positive affirmations into the equation. Things like “I can do this!” “Man, this is a lot, but I can make it through this!”. Finally gather what resources you can, things like support from family and friends, or community aid in the form of services and or counseling.  Through your actions in this phase, you are building confidence in yourself that you can hunker down in during the next phase. 

Landfall

Before long the problem will enter your life and batter you with inconvenience and frustration. With howling winds of change and infrequent flashes of insecurity. The storm rages on. Through all of the pressure and chaos I find it helps to be still when you can and when you can’t learn to go with the flow. 

When you are going through it and the situation has you all over the place take a moment and be still. Steady yourself and let the strength of your shelter bring you comfort and peace of mind. To fight chaos with chaos is a losing battle, but to fight chaos with order leads to balance. Balance is harmony, and harmony is victory!

There will come a time where you will have to act and find a solution to your problem. I want to encourage you to go with the flow basically trust in yourself. Our intuition is one of our best tools and if you have faith in yourself and your ability to make the best choice for you in any given situation then you are bound to meet success in one form or another. 

Aftermath

Once the storm has moved on and is no longer looming over you it’s time to assess the damage. Take note of areas of concern and places where you may need a little help. Figure out what worked for you and what maybe didn’t hit its mark as it relates to your work in phase 1. 

No storm comes and goes without leaving a little bit of work to be done in its wake. Now is the time to do your best to pick up the pieces and start working on fixing the problems. Maybe you let fear and doubt get the best of you, and you are now needing to redirect and remind yourself that you have what it takes to get the job done. 

The point is that it’s time to address what you can for storms are a constant in life and that just means that round 2 is about to start. The more effective you are with putting together your shelter the more likely you are to get through a storm with little to no damage. 

In Closing

While we can’t control how and why we go through these storms in our lives, we can however control the construction and fortitude of our shelters. Remember during the calm before the storm is when you have the opportunity to build up the best shelter possible. Once things get going and the storm has made landfall remember to be still when appropriate and go with the flow when necessary. Finally, during the aftermath assess the situation and regroup for the next storm. Never forget that you are enough to make it to the other side of whatever lies before you. The path may be difficult but it’s not impossible. Go forward and be blessed. You Got This!!!

Shelter in the Storm video: https://youtu.be/yL82PJTsqUA