Life isn’t for the faint of heart.
Neither is working in the credit union movement.
Over the past 40 years, I’ve learned that no matter how carefully we plan, life has a way of introducing challenges we never saw coming. Emergencies. Health issues. Loss. Betrayal. Unexpected setbacks. Toxic environments. Professional disappointments. Circumstances beyond our control that create stress, uncertainty, and sometimes make us question ourselves.
There are times when that stress threatens to get the best of us.
But don’t you dare let it.
One of the greatest blessings of my career has been the opportunity to work alongside some of the most resilient people I have ever known. Credit union leaders, employees, volunteers, and friends who have faced challenges that seemed impossible at the time.
I’ve watched people navigate organizational crises, financial hardships, leadership struggles, and personal tragedies. I’ve seen them inherit problems they didn’t create and accept responsibilities they never expected. I’ve watched them get knocked down by circumstances that would have caused many others to quit.
And yet, they got up again.
Not because it was easy.
Not because they weren’t hurting.
Not because they had all the answers.
They got back up because quitting wasn’t an option. They learned, adjusted, leaned on others when needed, and kept moving forward.
In fact, when I look back on many of the most successful credit union leaders I work with today, a surprising pattern emerges. Many of them didn’t start from a position of strength. They were facing difficult trials. They had challenges to overcome. They made hard decisions. They learned from mistakes. They fought through adversity and came out stronger on the other side.
People sometimes ask me where I learned what I know about credit unions. The answer is probably not what they expect. Most of what I’ve learned didn’t come from conferences, books, or training programs. It came during difficult stretches when things weren’t going according to plan. When I was facing uncertainty, dealing with disappointment, or trying to figure out what came next.
Those weren’t fun times. In fact, I wouldn’t choose many of those experiences again. But I wouldn’t trade what they taught me either. Those challenges taught me lessons about leadership, resilience, humility, and perseverance that I couldn’t have learned any other way. They also helped me see the good in people. Looking back, some of the brightest examples of character I’ve ever witnessed came from people walking an incredibly difficult path.
Perhaps most importantly, those experiences taught me that none of us make it through life’s rough patches alone.
There have been times in my own life when I needed others to believe in me more than I believed in myself. I needed people who were patient when I was struggling, who offered encouragement when I was discouraged, and who reminded me of my worth when I couldn’t see it myself.
Some of those people probably have no idea how much their kindness mattered.
But it did.
Their encouragement, friendship, and faith helped me find my footing again. Combined with hard work, faith, and a stubbornness not to give up, they helped me get back up again.
These thoughts have been on my mind a lot lately because many of my personal and professional friends are going through a rough patch. Some are facing challenges in their organizations. Some are carrying burdens at home. Some are dealing with things that few people know about.
It weighs on me because I care about them, and I often wish there was more I could do.
Over the years, I’ve learned that we can’t always fix someone’s problems. We can’t always make the pain go away. But we can be present. We can listen. We can offer encouragement. We can lend a hand where we can. We can remind people of the strengths we see in them when they struggle to see those strengths themselves.
Sometimes that’s exactly what a person needs.
To those who are facing difficult times right now, I want you to know this: you are not defined by your worst day, your biggest mistake, a setback, or a difficult stretch in your life. There is still value in you. There is still purpose ahead of you. There are lessons to be learned, growth to be experienced, and better days ahead.
Keep going.
The people who care about you are rooting for you, even if they haven’t said it lately.
And for those who know someone who is struggling, I have a simple request. Offer a little grace. Extend a little encouragement. Be patient. Be present. Not everyone shares what they’re going through. Some burdens are simply too personal or too painful to talk about.
The credit union movement has always been about people helping people.
Sometimes the person who needs help is sitting in the office next door, across the board table, or right beside us. Be the person who offers a little hope, a little kindness, and a reminder that they’re going to make it through this.
Sometimes that’s exactly what someone needs to get back up again.
