Beyond Emergency

It so often happens in life
That we are confronted by
Situations or conditions needing
Our immediate attention,
That demand that we act now,
Or face dire consequences.
We can focus every ounce
Of our attention,
Energy and resources
On meeting that challenge,
And one way or another,
We generally scrape through
Seemingly by the skin of our teeth.
We can pride ourselves
At having averted another disaster,
And what we usually find
On the other side
Is another emergency
Waiting to take its place.
We can easily find ourselves
Bouncing from one threat to another
Living our lives
In reaction to events
Over which we have no control.
If we ever want to get ahead,
We have to move beyond
The circumstances of the moment,
And apply direction to our lives.
The degree to which
We are able to do that,
Determines the power we have
In dictating the course of life.