Life is full of challenges. As a child, I remember my mother telling me I would face opportunities and challenges. She explained that I had a choice on how I would respond. My mother also told me nothing worth having would be easy.
I have carried those words with me through the many challenges I have faced throughout my life. My mother’s words have guided me during difficult times of my life.
One of my goals as a child was to earn a doctoral degree. I loved science, and I thought I would become a medical doctor. While I did become a scientist, I realized the medical field was not for me.
When I graduated from college, I was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army. Over the next 20 years, I had the privilege to work with and lead exceptional individuals. My desire to earn a doctorate faded into the background.
Once I retired from the military, I became an educator. As I perfected my craft as an educator, my desire to earn a doctoral degree was rekindled. So, after a lot of prayer and deliberation, with my husband, I decided to enroll in a doctoral program.
As I prepared to enter the program, I mapped my strategy for completing the program in three years. Yes, I did think I could complete the program in three years while working full-time.
I was successful in following my plan for the first two years. While my course work was challenging, I was able to successfully juggle work and school.
As I entered my third year, I faced a significant crisis. I lost my father. Daddy had been fighting prostate cancer for several years. It was progressing slowly and had not adversely impacted his quality of life.
I remember the night I received the call that my father had passed away. He was in the hospital dealing with complications from cancer. I was sitting at my computer preparing to submit a paper which was due at 11 pm when my phone rang.
When I answered the phone, my world changed. I found myself faced with the challenge of planning a funeral and taking care of my younger sisters, in addition to completing my degree. In the back of my head, I could hear my mother’s words encouraging me to keep moving forward.
It was a very stressful time, but I knew my father wanted me to complete my degree. Over the next year, with the support of my husband, I worked to get back on track in school while juggling work and overseeing my father’s estate.
Although my plan was delayed a year, I was back on track to finish. Just when I thought I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, another crisis arose.
My husband and I received some devasting news. I had cancer.
Over the next two years, my focus was on getting healthy. I took a leave of absence from school to undergo treatment. Praise God: I have been cancer-free now for seven years.
During my recovery, I contemplated not finishing my degree. I had completed my coursework. I only needed to complete my dissertation to earn my degree. But I found myself wondering, was it worth it?
Once again, my mother’s words echoed in my mind. I had a choice to quit or to persevere. It was an uphill battle, and I faced many challenges, but I chose to persevere.
“Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity.”
John C. Maxwell
John Maxwell’s Leading Through Crisis Perspective Principle #1 is “Everything Worthwhile is Uphill.” He further states “we are not given an overcoming life; we are given life as we overcome. It is the wrong perspective to think that life should be easy—life is anything but easy! However, if we are willing to do the hard things, they compound in value over time to create a life we could have never imagined.”
Since I have earned my degree, many individuals have asked me, was it worth it? My response is always a resounding, yes! Why? I fulfilled a childhood dream. It was an uphill battle, with many challenges, but it was worth it.
What dream have you achieved while leading through a crisis?
#YourLeadershipGuide
Kim
Want to be a better leader during times of crisis? Click HERE to view my free Leading Through Crisis Masterclass and learn how.
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