October 7, 2008This Week in the World ~ Grace Under Fire

Filed under: This Week in the World by merylrunion |

When I spoke to the Emergency Nurse’s Association Convention, I talked about how emergencies will bring out the best and the worst in us. Well, so will a national crisis. The last few weeks have been incredibly intense in the US with campaigns going negative and the economy melting down.

Anybody feeling an emotional meltdown? It’s tough to stay open and loving when so much fear and violence is in the air. It’s easy to abandon dignity, love and grace when you’re under fire.

Obviously when a house is burning, you put it out without worrying too much about how elegant the process is. But most of the time your emergencies aren’t the kind where seconds count. Even in emergencies – no – especially in emergencies, you need to SpeakStrong, Speak Smart and Speak Sweet. That requires coordination and grace – grace under fire.

Now more than ever, stay connected to sweetness and love so when you open your mouth, you’ll speak sweetly. How do you maintain that connection? Well, I immerse myself in my mentor’s poetry. My husband is visual, and he delights in beautiful art before he goes to sleep at night. It always helps to reach out to people whose presence provides grace.

Can you afford to indulge in the luxury of beauty in difficult times? Uh, yeah. In fact, you can’t afford not to.