You're in the middle of a storm—now what?

Because my posts are written and scheduled weeks in advance, they do not reflect the recent events around me and their impact on my state of mind.

I should be looking forward to a season of new beginnings.

But instead, I felt sorrow upon learning of the tragedy that occurred in my birth city.

In the past two days, my birth city experienced the worst flooding it has ever seen in three decades.

And there are no words to express grief for the lost lives. It gave me the chills hearing those pleas for help and rescue. I only heard them through videos uploaded on social media. I can only imagine the terror of those who were on-site witnesses. 

It broke my heart, too, when I heard of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Turkey earthquakes, and the Israel-Palestine conflicts. It felt painful when all I could do was to keep working as if the world around me was not breaking down.

But pain hits differently when it's closer to home.

One of the worse feelings in the world is helplessness amidst adversity. That helplessness that you feel when all you can do is watch your phone and wait for news from miles away that your family is safe. That helplessness of not being able to do anything for anyone.

I also felt helpless most of the time when I was younger and faced both physical and metaphorical storms. I've not been too fond of that feeling ever since.

The physical storms I remember most happened in my second year of high school.

Typhoon Milenyo (international name Xangsane) came in September. Typhoon Reming (international name Durian) came in late November.  

After Reming, the power was out for the entire December. It wasn’t restored until after Christmas. Imagine celebrating what's supposed to be a happy occasion in darkness.

But that’s the smallest of suffering compared to what happened in a nearby city. A volcano erupted at the same time as the storm. Imagine lava and large stone boulders rolling down while the winds and rain raged around you. Later, I saw the devastation and learned how the tragedy left a permanent scar on the land and on its residents.

If you were in the middle of a storm, would you have been able to react quickly?

I guess not. That’s why storms result in death, destruction of property, and injuries.

When we're inside a hell-on-earth situation, when helplessness sinks in, survival can be elusive.

But still, we must do whatever we can to keep afloat.

If you’re enduring emotional turbulence, may I offer three insights from my childhood of weathering storms?  

I remember a story back when I was a child. One day, Master Wind challenged several trees to know who was the strongest.

Master Wind went to the mango tree first. But the mango tree was unyielding. It stood tall and proud. But Master Wind blew and blew, and soon the mango tree broke its branches, and its fruits dropped to the ground. And Master Wind won.

Next, Master Wind went to the narra. The narra tree bared its branches. “I am strong and confident. You’ll never break me!” The narra tree shouted. But Master Wind kept blowing, and soon, the narra tree got uprooted. And Master Wind won.

Then, Master Wind went to the bamboo. The bamboo tree felt ready. It smiled at Master Wind and bent its slender trunks. So, Master Wind blew and kept blowing, but the bamboo tree only shook its leaves. Its body remained intact. Master Wind soon grew tired.

Bend like the bamboo, and you’ll not break. Adversity also calls on your flexibility. It forces you to be creative. Sometimes, you might have to bow down, but it's only to let the storm pass around you.

In many storms, you’ll see the bamboo as the last tree standing, especially if the bamboo is part of a grove. So here’s another insight. Find someone to lean on. You cannot bear the storms all alone.

And lastly, you cannot anticipate whatever disaster might come your way. But you can predict how you’ll react. If you’re in the audit profession like me, you know that risks are unavoidable. Know the risks. And learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from these risks.

I hope that in my little way, I’ve thrown a lifeline to you through my words. And as always, I am ready to lend a listening ear if you ever need one.

I know this might not be enough. But, it's my contribution to making this world a better place.

There is still a lot to do.

So, I hope that we can all work together to achieve a hopeful future. A future where the businesses that we create or that we work for will help build society, not break it down.

Storms may come our way, but we will not break. Stay warm and keep safe!

Tin here! Welcome to Busy Season Journals, a newsletter made especially for you by a fellow accountant, adventurer, and coach-guide. I write about my adventures as an accountant and auditor and everything in between. You get deeper insights and personal stories on how to shape a happy, meaningful work.

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