Weathering Storms with Soul Force
Life rarely asks our permission before it changes our plans. This past week, I found myself in the hospital for two unexpected procedures, followed by news of yet another complication that meant more waiting before I could go home. It wasn’t comfortable, and it certainly wasn’t part of my plans.
And yet—this was precisely the kind of storm where Heroic came alive for me.
The Old Me vs. The Trained Me
In the past, I might have spiraled—not just into fear, but into victimhood.
Victimhood whispers, “This isn’t fair. Why me? Haven’t I already had enough?” It tempts us to believe we are powerless, that life is happening to us and we’re stuck with no say in the matter. And honestly, that’s where I might have landed before Heroic.
But Heroic has trained me to notice that downward spiral and choose a different path. Instead of getting pulled into “poor me,” I asked, “Who am I at my best in this storm?” That simple shift transformed everything.
Antifragility in Action
Heroic teaches that it’s not enough to be resilient—to simply bounce back. Antifragility means we use adversity as fuel, allowing challenges to make us stronger, wiser, and better than before.
Every disruption in the hospital was an invitation to practice this truth. The discomfort, the delays, the unexpected diagnoses—all became opportunities to lean into the virtues I want to embody:
Courage to face the unknown.
Discipline to stay steady instead of spiraling.
Gratitude to focus on what’s still good.
Love to extend kindness to myself and those caring for me.
When I reframed my suffering as training, I realized: this storm wasn’t working against me. It was working for me.
The Power of Identity
One of the most powerful Heroic practices is Identity. We decide in advance who we are at our best, and then we commit to showing up as that version of ourselves—especially when life gets hard.
Lying in that hospital bed, I could have chosen the identity of “helpless patient” or “victim.” But instead, I chose to anchor myself in who I know I am: someone who brings light into dark spaces. Someone who chooses courage over fear. Someone who uses storms as opportunities to practice Soul Force.
That identity shift changed everything. I wasn’t just “getting through” the hospital. I was training in the exact conditions life gave me.
Energy. Work. Love.
Even in the hospital, the Heroic Big 3 showed up:
Energy: Resting when I needed to, walking the halls when I could, focusing on breath instead of panic.
Work: My “work” in that moment wasn’t my coaching or writing—it was to heal. To cooperate with the process. To practice presence.
Love: Smiling at nurses, thanking doctors, and even offering compassion to myself when pain or frustration showed up.
That’s the Heroic life: showing up with Energy, Work, and Love in whatever arena life places you.
Storms Will Come
None of us get through life without storms. Yours may not look like mine, but each of us will face seasons of uncertainty, pain, or loss. The storms aren’t optional. But how we show up in them is.
Heroic has taught me that storms don’t define us—they refine us. They give us the training ground to become the people we’ve always wanted to be.
Your Storm
So here’s my invitation for you:
What storm are you facing right now? Big or small, named or unnamed, public or private—are you tempted toward victimhood, or are you choosing Heroic antifragility?
How can you meet this moment with courage, gratitude, and love? How can you remember your identity and show up as your best self—even in the middle of the storm?
Because in the end, it’s not about the storm at all. It’s about who we become through it.
