Act Up

Crises are unavoidable. Crises are terrible. We had going through pain, dissolution, betrayal, and loss. But when a crisis unfolds in your life, remember to ACT UP.

A: Acknowledge the suck. Whatever is happening feels like the worst. Lean into that feeling. This is the time to cry, to scream, to rail against the world for not being fair.

C: Continue. As much as you would prefer to shit down physically and emotionally, you cannot. You must continue to live your life. You must continue to love yourself and others. Get moving. Get out.

T: Take responsibility for what you own only. Don't let someone else's crap become yours. But you can't disavow that which is yours either. Reflect on what part you or your actions may have played. Own that. Learn from that.

U: Use your resources. No person is an island. Don't let shame or embarrassment keep you from reaching out to loved ones or professionals and asking for help. That's what they are there for. Don't try to do everything alone.

P: Process to proceed. You can't make real progress out of a crisis without doing the work. Some chunk of this work will be emotional. Have those internal dialogues. Figure out what your logic says to you and how you feel. How can you best go forward now? What more do you need to succeed after this? What have you learned?