It happened again.

It seems to be happening more and more.

Another tornado has ripped apart a community.  Earthquakes, floods, explosions – weekly we are rocked with the next horror that fills news and social media coverage.  The public interest stories abound about average citizens whose whole lives were upended in a matter of minutes; fortunes lost and futures uncertain.

While relatively few people (hopefully) will have a front- row seat to a natural disaster, far too many of us will one day withstand stormy weather in our careers:

• Losing a job in a layoff can quickly wash away both your financial security and confidence in your abilities.  Almost as bad, survivors of that same layoff will find themselves trying to do more with less all the while fearing that they may be next.
• Torrential barrages of negativity about unemployment and the economy have dampened the hopes of graduating students.
• The last, hard fought drive of a struggling entrepreneur can burn through resources like a wildfire, leaving you sifting through the glowing embers of your bank account, energy, and self-esteem.
• A change in the senior leadership of an organization can unleash a flood of uncertainty in up-and-coming executives; upending alliances, disintegrating promises, and redrawing political maps.

It seems that none of us is protected from career turmoil, but we can take a lesson from the brave souls in Oklahoma, Boston, and all of the survivors of past disasters:

1. Remember what really matters. 
2. Rely on the kindness of others. 
3. Choose how you want to rebuild.
4. Know that you will survive this.

I’ll be keeping the victims in my prayers.  If you are interested in donating money to help, here is just one of the ways that you can do it:  RedCross.org