How to Turn Fear Into Hope in Crisis

Fear …. it seems everyone is facing it!  

All we need to do is turn on the TV to become fearful of what’s happening around the world and close to home.  There’s no escape.  Lining up in front of the grocery store, three meters apart is a vivid reminder of how life has changed.  Today we noticed grocery aisles are now designated for one way traffic only. This is a necessary precaution, and another change that triggers fear.

Fear Comes In Many Forms …

In our experience, the most scary fear is the type of fear we keep to ourselves.  The fear we try to hide below the surface, thinking it’s hidden from sight. The challenge, this fear finds its way out in other ways. Sometimes in other forms like a migraine, a sick feeling in the pit of the stomach, a short temper…Sometimes we feel like we can’t breathe.

These Times of Crisis Change Us Forever

During the global economic crisis in 2008, our industry plummeted.  The executive recruitment industry is one of those industries, that goes down quickly in times of crisis. Companies only hire when times are good. Like now, we had no idea how long the crisis would last and if we would survive it. 

When We’re in a Crisis We Feel Helpless

We did survive, but we were different when we got to the other side.  Most of us will survive this too and just like in 2008 be transformed in the process.  The pain we felt in 2008 was almost unbearable.  

Surviving a Crisis Changes Perspectives

We let people go, something we never thought we would have to do. Awake at night I remember asking Bob how we were going to pay the office rent. Bob’s silence wasn’t because he was sleeping.  It was because he had absolutely no idea. Fear regularly turned Bob’s stomach upside down and inside out.

Learning From the Experience and Taking Action 

We never wanted to experience this level of pain again.  Relying on one source of household income was too stressful. A couple years ago we decided we needed to learn new skills and figure out a way to create another income stream. We were tired of feeling vulnerable to the global world.  We decided to take back control and leverage the digital era.

Turning Fear Into Hope

Learning new skills has given us hope and purpose.  Even this morning, we woke up energized, knowing we were connecting with people in our community and writing a blog.  Being part of a global community, we know we are not alone in this crisis. There is strength in connection. Connection with the community lifts us all up and gives us hope for moving forward together.  

This experience will shift perspectives and transform us all in some way.  We are here if you would like to talk about how we can help you turn the gut wrenching fear your feeling into hope by taking action.

When you’re ready, please reach out by responding to this email.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Adrienne  and Bob