Life rarely goes as planned. Sometimes, unplanned events only cause minor adjustments. But sometimes, they can put you in “crisis mode” and might require major transformations. Like the rainy Friday when Red’s husband came home and told her, totally unexpected, that he had been fired. In a split second, her life went from fairy tale to nightmare.
So, whether you freak out (Red’s default setting) or are feeling overwhelmed and uncertain where to start, when we relaunch this site in the New Year, there will be a section called **IT HAPPENS. Filled with tips and tools (and, of course, food for thought), we hope it will help you survive and thrive during even the most stressful life events.
Because we’ve experienced them, we know that a “crisis” can come in many different forms (financial, work, relationship, health, natural disaster, the list goes on), and what starts as one issue often impacts many aspects of your life. But, as Black recently explained to Red,
Every situation is different, but you can approach them in a similar way, although I did not tell you that at the time. I did not even let you know we were going through the steps one-by-one because, in your case, I knew we first had to deal with the emotional aspects. And, when I told you I thought your “crisis” would be the best thing that ever happened to you, you thought I was being nice. Even though I do not do nice.
Well, Black may not “do nice”, but she did help Red through her “crisis”, and along the way, managed to help Red see that adjusting her mindset and perspective could make all the difference.
However, if you’re currently in a difficult situation (or just curious about how Black guided Red), knowing what’s coming next year doesn’t help you now. So, we hope the following posts might help make things a little better.
- Red’s Crisis ... Black’s Advice
- My husband and I always argue about money. Any advice?
- Expect Reality, Not Perfection
- Come Hell Or High Water … Or Both
- Have You Ever Wanted A Second Chance? Or A “Do Over”?
Same family. Very different approaches to life.
Red is warm and fuzzy. Black is pragmatic and sarcastic.
- Red leads with her heart. Black leads with her head.
- Red wants to talk it through. Black wants to solve it.
- Red gives you the context. Black gives you the bottom line.
Which sounds more like you?
Which brings us to one of our favorite examples: When we had to explain the differences between us for the Introduction to What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired!, Red wrote pages with her usual blah-blah-blah. Black gave the book designer a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Funny thing is that over the years, readers have not only told us which of us they’re more like, but also gone so far as to identify the “Reds” and “Blacks” in their own families. We even had a few who nicknamed themselves (one was “Brown,” another was “Bald”).
So, are you more like Red or Black? Or somewhere in between?
What does it take to build a legacy?
Not a building. An organization. And a leader with passion.
In 1991, Make-A-Wish of the Texas Gulf Coast (before it included Louisiana) was a young organization facing an uncertain future. Then Teri Andrepont became its CEO, and the chapter grew to be one of the most successful in the nation. Twenty-nine years and thousands of wishes later, she made the difficult decision to retire. How would we ever thank her?
The chapter had recently moved into a new building, and the Board unanimously decided to name it in Teri’s honor.
This video was created for the building dedication in 2022, and Black was one of the people asked to help tell Teri’s story. Why? Because Teri’s passion for Make-A-Wish was contagious — Black caught it early in Teri’s tenure and has served the organization for more than 30 years as a board member and advisor, a relationship that continues today.
| A legacy is not just what you build. It is what drives others to keep building. |
| I know everyone’s always trying to find balance in their life. I thought becoming an empty nester would make that easier, but apparently not. The girls may be grown, but being a mom doesn’t end when your children move out. Between them, Red & Black, and my seemingly endless lists of things to do, I still struggle. | |
| And, as I am a die-hard workaholic who admits to not having a life, you think I have the answer? | |
| Excellent point. Never mind. | |
| However, I do have some suggestions … although I will preface it with, "Do as I say, not as I do." |
| At this point, I'll take whatever help I can get. | |
| Sometimes you need to make a conscious effort to stay present. And, by that I mean appreciate what is happening now instead of thinking about what is next. Or, reminiscing about the past. | |
| That sounds good, but it also sounds overly simplistic, not to mention highly optimistic. And where would I even start? | |
| Easy. It really is as simple as 1 – 2 – 3. | |
| Nothing's that simple. | |
| 1. SLOW down and look around 2. STOP using your gizmo and consider putting it away 3. GO spend time with family or friends, or steal some "alone time" | |
| Actually, that does sound simple. Now I just have to remember to SLOW – STOP –GO. | |
| Just imagine a traffic light. Plus, it would have the added benefit of every time you see a real traffic light, it will remind you to SLOW –STOP – GO. | |
| I should've known there'd be a car or driving analogy in there somewhere. | |
| Throttle on ... |

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