Eleven Signs You’re in Crisis Mode
Written by Dr. Wayne Brouwer /
November 12, 2015
Written by Dr. Wayne Brouwer /
November 12, 2015
Friends who met in biking events thought it would be great to take a summer tour on a tandem. Soon, however, their differing personalities grated. On a long, steady mountain climb they pumped without chatting, intent on finally reaching the summit.
“What a view!” exclaimed the front rider.
“What a workout!” sighed his companion. “And if I hadn’t kept the brake on, we probably would have slid right back down the slope!”
While the front biker was challenging open spaces, thrusting on ahead, the back peddler saw only walls and barriers, and guarded himself carefully against them.
Doors fascinate me. Are they walls or are they windows? Do they define space in terms of “in” and “out”, or are they extensions of “there” into “here”?
Our perceptions of open doors or enclosed defining walls are a critical test of how well we are functioning in our current work setting. If we see open doors, we are likely to stay and redouble our investments. If we perceive closed doors and inhibiting barriers, we are probably already in some kind of job crisis mode.
How do we know if we have “hit the wall”? There are usually some leading signs, if we are careful self-observers.
All of these things can be explained as part of the ebb and flow of our normal lives. But when they start compounding, it is often because we believe open doors have become walls, and destiny has crumbled into duty and covered us with depression.
We need accountability partners to help us see more clearly and also to nudge us along when we enjoy too much the holes we are digging for ourselves. We enjoy complaining, especially to others who are also becoming dysfunctional, but that doesn’t help.
Instead, we need critical assessment and support, along with realistic steps back toward health, from truly trustworthy persons. Maybe it’s a long-time friend who knows us almost as well as we know ourselves. Maybe it’s a counseling professional. Maybe it’s an older pastor or priest.
How do the doors look in your life? Are they still opening to further opportunities? Or are they sliding closed, and disappearing into the shrinking walls of your world?
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