By Jackson Henry —-
One of this century’s most prodigious leaders was none other than, Sir Winston Churchill. He was at the helm of power when Hitler commenced the aerial bombings ofLondonwhich stretched the nerves of every British to the brink. But Churchill calmly told his subjects, “An optimist sees opportunity in every calamity but a pessimist sees calamity in every opportunity”.
Churchill’s message was: calamities are not all intrinsically bad. Something good can come out of them if you leverage the calamity to your advantage. In business, calamities often sharpen our focus and serves as great education to improve the status quo. Calamities can be stepping stones to fortunes. They are portals to society’s advancement.
It is no surprise why an FAA official said, “every plane crash makes the flying public safer”.
In Banda Aceh, the great tsunami created a major calamity but it ended all religious and tribal wars that plague the country for centuries.
We know that calamities, whether man made or natural, are unavoidable in life. In fact, they lurk in our shadows every minute and strike when we least expect them. It is crucial to keep clam, cool and restraint when calamities strike, so we can manage them with precision and not in desperation.
The worst response to calamities is to cower and be petrified by indecision. Even worst is to feel victimized by them.
Disaster specialist Ed Blakely once said, “a sudden jolt of the status quo gives professionals options”, which most often are rejected by the public due to their political unpopularity. Think about it. How many times have professional advise been rejected inPalaubecause of perceived cultural or political implications? How many times have we forgone professional solutions to our economy due to our own prejudices, ignorance and fear.
While we cannot prevent calamities from occurring, we can minimize their negative impacts. L. Ron Hubbard said, “Those things planned do not become calamities”. To best prepare for calamities, it is important to list all worst case scenarios and plan all their remedies. Keep updating your list and practice on solving them. Practice builds confidence and speed up the response time.
Palauhas experienced several calamities in the past. From the collapse of the KB bridge to Tropical Storm Utor. As a result, we have a better bridge and an improved road system. All calamities are temporary and will soon pass. When calamities strike, it is crucial to maintain a bold “can do” attitude. Avoid the blame game. Calamities are nations’ great change agents. They break down the old so society can usher in the new. Perhaps we all could be inspired by the saying, “the brightest thunderbolts are elicited from the darkest storms”.
