By Donna Faylona-Marcelo

Over the past few months, it seems that nearly every week has brought a calamitous event to the Philippines. There have been super typhoons, habagat-related floods, and strong earthquakes. At home or at work, our daily lives are also filled with our own personal storms, challenges, and at times, life-changing incidents.

So the question for us is: do we merely survive and get through each day, or do we thrive by using these experiences to grow and become better? Amid the inevitable chaos of modern life, we must find our inner anchor in order to battle whatever forces face us.

You may have heard our current world described as VUCA – volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. And no, hindi yan description ng love life natin ha. The forces surrounding us, both locally and abroad, at home and at work, are constantly impacting our lives. Change is inevitable, and chaos often seems unstoppable.

Several years ago, at a previous company, I found myself in utter chaos. I was leading a multimillion-peso international marketing launch, coordinating daily with principals in Paris and Hong Kong, providing almost hourly updates to my local Execom, and overseeing non-stop efforts from our production teams. That night, I finally got home late—only to find my daughter burning with a 39-degree fever and my son needing me to put him to bed. My husband was away at a business dinner. Overwhelmed and floundering, I couldn’t seem to find my anchor. Except maybe the anchor of a box of tissues.

I eventually made it through that night and that week when I realized that my inner anchor was my family. And I could counter the chaos of VUCA by a ‘NEW VUCA’: Validate, Understand, Communicate, and Adapt.

That night, I validated the urgency of the priorities: all the principals had been updated, and coordination meetings were complete. I tried to understand where the constant pressure of those involved was coming from – it stemmed from the genuine desire for success for our company, my team, and me as the program lead. I communicated to the teams that I would be unavailable for any calls or messages that night as I had to take care of my family. And I adapted to the current situation by putting on my mommy hat and trusting my team to handle whatever was needed.

We all inevitably encounter challenging and unpredictable situations—often outside our control or triggered by unreasonable people. When that happens, we face a choice: merely survive, or thrive? Discover your inner anchor, such as family, friends, alone time, meditation, exercise, a bit of alcohol, your favorite food, or the ‘new VUCA.’ Holding onto this anchor will help you thrive rather than merely survive.

That, plus a box of tissues.