Believing is seeing

Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40 (NIV)

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Look for the silver lining in every crisis

Look for the silver lining in every crisis

By Jean Ricot Dormeus

Johnny traveled to a crisis torn and violent country for business and also to spend time with family and friends. He planned to stay for two weeks. On Johnny's first weekend he visited a church not far from the place where he was staying with his mother.  During the night of that visit he heard four gunshots in front of his gate. He remained recoiled on his bed, his heart pounding while praying.

The following morning, Johnny heard that bandits invaded the church and shot the caretaker. He cut short his stay and expressed gratitude for his life. The incident traumatized him, but was able to close a business deal and started to take his spiritual life more seriously.

Crises make us or break us. Often they come with a silver lining or a blessing in disguise. They urge us to take immediate measures to stop ongoing occurrences, to adopt preventive strategies and make us stronger. Failing to do so may result in irreparable consequences.

From his experience, Johnny became aware of his weaknesses and his vulnerability in specific circumstances. He developed the habit of scanning his environment for lurking risks and dangers. He said, "I cannot know the future, but I can do my best to avoid being reckless or negligent by doing due diligence".

Taking time to know about people in our lives, our workplaces or places where we go can save us from horrible crisis experiences. 

Crises may offer us a springboard for growth by forcing us to reevaluate our lifestyle, our goals and our raison d'ĂȘtre. Otherwise we take many things for granted and stay clear of endeavoring to reach our potential. 

Like Johnny, let's learn from what happened to us, especially our moments of crisis. There is a silver lining to every difficult situation.

Jean Ricot Dormeus

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Check out my book "Land of Dormant Dreams - A Walk into the Future" for more tips on developing self and nation.

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Take control over the unexpected in your life

Take control over the unexpected in your life

By Jean Ricot Dormeus

I was heading out to play tennis properly garbed, with two racquets sticking out of my backpack. I locked the door knob from the inside and pulled my apartment door shut. I greeted the security guard and a neighbor on my way to the car. When I reached the driver's door, I realized that I had left the key to the car and the house inside.

As I had no access, my mind raced all over the place. I thought that my day plan was ruined. And on a Sunday early morning, no locksmith would be available. I grew anxious not knowing what to do. Suddenly, my neighbor who had gone out on a bike came back to me and said, "I have just found out that a locksmith was living around the corner and he was willing to come over and help.

In a matter of minutes, the locksmith arrived. He checked the lock and asked if I had a credit card or something of sorts. I gave him a card. He introduced it into the groove between the frame and the door and in a few seconds got the door open. I was able to go play tennis grateful and amazed.

Often, life presents us with unexpected events and challenges with no solution in sight. In those moments, our anxiety may have the best of us. Keeping calm and positive turns out to be the best way to handle tricky situations. Not only our resourcefulness may kick in faster, but also we are more likely to get help around us.

In times of crisis or dysfunctions, being mindful will prevent us from doubling down on our woes by getting angry  or overwhelmed. Let's take control over the unexpected in our lives. After all, most of them are unavoidable and they may be for the better. 

Jean Ricot Dormeus

If this blog post resonates with you, share it with your network.

Check out my "Land of Dormant Dreams - A Walk into the Future" for more tips on developing self and nation.