CHAPTER 1Chaos Refines Us
I have refined you, but not as silver is refined.
Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.
Isaiah 48:10
Is My Situation Worse?
Is chaos today worse than ever? We are all tempted to think so, but I believe this is the wrong question since every generation faces its own unique chaos. The common characteristic of chaos is that it is ever present for all generations, but its characteristics are unique to the time in which it unfolds.
I doubt those who lived through the plague that killed half the population of Europe or those whose homeland has been bombed into oblivion in a war would say our time is worse.
A better question is, what are you facing now, and how will you overcome it? One health care client I work with has the normal challenges of a highly demanding industry. But because of COVID, they have been stretched to the limit of human endurance in their ability to meet people's needs. They struggle with their own sickness, exhaustion, and discouragement. For them, overcoming this particular chaos is the only question that matters at this moment.
For those earlier in your career, this connection is not as easy to see. With the benefit of decades in the business world, I am going to share the parts of my journey that helped me see my purpose and the role of chaos in it.
Let's start with a ...
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