Learn to Enjoy the Whole Ride

I absolutely love my job as an emergency manager and while I have done a lot of different jobs over the years, I could not ask for a better position. I have done some fun things, but when it comes to the overall experience, there is nothing better. The highs you encounter in the emergency and disaster management field are amazing, but the lows can be utterly dreadful, making you want to hang it all up. Don’t act too rashly when this comes your way, and it surely will.

Think about it as a off-road adventure. As you take off, you are going to have the moments of sheer bliss as you navigate deep mud and boulders, but there are going to be some pretty boring and flat areas as well. If you don’t take a step back from your role and realize that both the good and the bad come with the territory, then you’re going to make your life pretty hard, much harder than it needs to be. What if you were to recognize that this was the reality in almost any job, and you will only survive if you get this? Would your thinking be different; I believe it would.

If you’re going to commit to emergency management, you need to commit to the entire ride, good and bad, muddy and flat. You need to learn how to enjoy it all. It might take time, but in the long run this will help you survive and even enjoy this gratifying career field.