Today is November 8 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “How often do you deal with reality?”
People who navigate the chaos understand the significance of being honest with reality.
As American writer Alex Haley noted “Either you deal with what is the reality, or you can be sure that the reality is going to deal with you.”
After facing the reality that he did not belong in college, Haley dropped out and at his father’s suggestion joined the Coast Guard.
Haley enlisted as a mess attendant. Later he was promoted to the rate of petty officer third-class in the rating of steward, one of the few ratings open to African Americans at that time.
It was during his service in the Pacific theater of operations that Haley taught himself the craft of writing stories. During his enlistment other sailors often paid him to write love letters to their girlfriends. He said that the greatest enemy he and his crew faced during their long voyages was not the Japanese forces but rather boredom.
After World War II, Haley petitioned the U.S. Coast Guard to allow him to transfer into the field of journalism.
By 1949 he had become a petty officer first-class in the rating of journalist. He later advanced to chief petty officer and held this grade until his retirement from the Coast Guard in 1959.
He was the first chief journalist in the Coast Guard, the rating having been expressly created for him in recognition of his literary ability.
Haley would go on to two the best-selling 1976 book Roots: The Saga of an American Family and co-author of The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
Haley dealt with reality and taught himself how to write instead of letting reality deal with him.
As former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill noted "truth is incontrovertible, panic may resent it, ignorance may deride it, malice may distort it, but there it is."
The truth was Haley dealt with his reality.
How often do you deal with reality?