Navigating Chaos: Taking the Next Right Step Amidst Disaster
The recent flooding in Kerrville and Leander has devastated communities and left a trail of heartbreak across Central Texas. In moments like these, when the air is thick with grief and uncertainty, the question that often arises is: What do I do next? It's a question whispered by parents trying to console their children, by business owners staring at ruined inventory, and by neighbors watching helicopters comb the waters for the missing.
When the world feels like it's collapsing, doing "the next right thing" can feel impossible. But this simple principle—popularized in recovery communities and echoed by leaders through crises—offers a grounding path forward.
Define Your Circle of Control
The first step in chaos is to shrink your focus. What can you control in this moment? You can call your loved ones. You can offer shelter. You can check on a neighbor. You can breathe.
The "next right thing" is rarely grandiose. It is almost always small, concrete, and deeply human. Sometimes we don’t know that that “next right thing” is. In those times, there is nothing wrong with simply pausing and asking yourself, “what’s the next right thing for me to do?”
Make Space for Emotion Without Letting It Lead
Emotions like fear, sorrow, and anger are natural in a disaster. They demand acknowledgment, not repression. But they must not be the drivers of our decisions.
Taking a few moments to name what you're feeling can offer just enough clarity to act with intention rather than impulse. It also allows you to extend that grace to others, recognizing that everyone is moving through their own version of the storm.
Find Anchors in Routine and Community
In disruption, rituals and relationships become stabilizers. Whether it's a morning coffee, a daily team check-in, or a community prayer vigil, consistent habits help us reclaim a sense of normalcy.
Routine doesn't ignore the disaster; it helps you move through it.
Let Action Be Your Antidote to Helplessness
When all else feels overwhelming, service becomes a life raft. Volunteering, donating, making meals, or simply listening can be profound acts of both healing and resistance. Doing the next right thing might mean handing out water bottles or setting up a GoFundMe for a displaced neighbor.
Prepare Today for Tomorrow
While we can't prevent every disaster, we can prepare for them. Take stock of your emergency plans. Revisit tenant communication protocols. Ask yourself: If this happened to us, how would we respond?
Disaster preparedness isn't about fear; it's about respect—for nature, for people, and for the unpredictable world we inhabit.
Chaos tests our character. But it also clarifies it. And in the aftermath of tragedy, we are reminded that leadership is not about heroic speeches or sweeping gestures. It's about doing the next right thing, even when the path is flooded and unclear.
