It's been almost a month since the bombings occurred on April 15th during the Boston Marathon.  People all over the world empathized with the runners and spectators.  As a native Bostonian, I was glued to the television set for news and stories from my family and friends.  I quickly called my oldest brother John, who is a Lieutenant in the BPD.  He said oftentimes bombers plan two separate bombs fairly close to one another.  They do this because they know that when a bomb goes off, there are two different kinds of reactions:  some people run away from the bomb in panic, and others run towards the blast to do whatever they can to help the wounded survive.  The second bomb is meant to thwart those well-meaning good Samaritans.  In a split-second life-or-death situation, I wondered to myself: what would I have
done? I imagine it would be the same way I might cope with any sudden change. 

In my own work with those in career transition, I see firsthand how people react to a job loss. Some get paralyzed by fear, while others immediately jump in and put a plan together.  Despite their own circumstances, they even go out of their way to see how they can help other people.  These are the ones who move forward and land quickly.  While you may clearly empathize with someone who has lost a job, take it one step further – and help them in any way you can.
Of course I would never equate job loss to the horrors of the heinous tragedy in Boston, but I’d like you to think about the power of any sudden change in your life.  How would you react?  How would you like others to react? 
Do you run away ---- or do you rush in to do whatever you can to help? 


    Claire Edmondson 

    Claire spent the first 23 years of her life in Boston, then moved to Minnesota to manage an improv comedy troupe. She soon moved into corporate HR and eventually into client-facing sales leadership roles.  Her focus on leadership development, resilience and career strategy coaching may in fact have been influenced by her immigrant Irish grandmother Delia - who took a boat from Cork, Ireland at 15 years old to create a new future for herself.  From her, Claire learned to dream big, work hard and keep a sense of humor.

    As a lifelong learner, some of her favorite activities include: reading, connecting the present to the past and listening to her nieces and nephews tell stories.

    View my profile on LinkedIn

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