Sometimes life hits you with a gut punch that doubles you over and takes your breath away. Sometimes these traumatic events are deeply personal, and sometimes professional, but they are intense. What happens next, or doesn’t, determines the ultimate outcome of that moment.

 First comes disbelief. “This can’t be true!” Or “there must be some terrible mistake.” Yet there isn’t…

 Next comes anxiety. Upon the realization of a stark new reality, a rush of human emotions invades our thinking. Feelings range from anger, to fear and sometimes depression. Yet if we remain here, we lose…

 Third comes some level of acceptance. Coming to grips with the situation requires finding a way to accept and somehow compartmentalize the reality. In this way, our conscious mind can then consider what to do about it, or because of it. Yet this crucial step only opens a door to what’s next…

 Fourth comes learning and adaptation. Focus on understanding the why, the how and the what creates insights for deeper exploration. At this stage the potential for process changes, enhanced physical resources and progressive practices emerge. These are the things that offer possibilities for the future. Yet to produce benefit requires another step…

 Finally comes focus on applying lessons learned for future benefit. This is the pivot point where we concentrate on what we can do and apply what we’ve learned in the real world. Change meets practical application here. And our world, with us as an active participant it, becomes a slightly better place as a result.

The amount of time it takes to navigate these five phases will depend upon the circumstance, the person and the gravity of the event. To remain Five Alive is the purpose.

Tempus Maximize!