Living beyond the edge

Brian Catanella Aug. 12, 2020

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Three men stood at the edge of a glacier cliff in weather-torn clothing. They were the last hope of the 22 men stranded on Elephant Island across the Drake Passage, nearly 650 nautical miles to the Southwest. Three other shipmates were left halfway across the Antarctic island of South Georgia. They too awaited their fate as the final three adventurers attempted to cross an uncharted island.[1]

Fog was descending, and with it a darkness that would leave the men stranded. Death was a certainty unless they made a move, and fast. The leader had two choices: continue to carve out steps down the cliff and freeze to death within the hour, or tempt fate and slide the rest of the way down the bluff and hope the bottom flattened out gradually.

Which would you choose?

Life's edges

Life can bring several do-or-die moments that force us to make a choice. Ernest Shackleton, leader of the famed Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914-1917, faced the literal example described above, but we all will meet the edge at some point in our lives. Understanding what edges we face and how they may hurt or help us is paramount.

Living on the edge of burnout

If there was ever a year that screamed burnout at us, it has been 2020. I have seen it in my kids, family, coworkers and myself. We've pushed ourselves to a new edge with an over-abundance of Zoom calls, "virtual learning" and toxic news cycles. Burnout used to be for the workaholics and not for you and me, right? Not anymore.

So what got us here? One description comes from author Carey Nieuwhof, who says that "the problem with most leaders is not how we spend our time off. It's how we spend our time on."[2] While most of us are counting the days before vacation or hours until Fri-yay, how we spend our time during the day will directly impact our chances of burnout.

Is the early morning Zoom followed by emergency work email taking the place of your morning walk? Does the urgent message that lights up your phone at the dinner table take you away from key family time?

Are you constantly feeling like you are on the clock regardless of the time of day? If so, you may need to find ways to cut back and block out time for life restoration each day rather than on your future staycation.

You can also use a second weapon against burnout: compassion. Dr. Stephen Trzeciak, author of Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference, says spending an additional 40 seconds to empathize with patients can not only provide better outcomes, but can also significantly reduce physician burnout over time.

Facing his own burnout edge, Dr. Trzeciak put this to work himself and shared that he "connected more, not less; cared more, not less; leaned in rather than pulled back. And that was when the fog of burnout began to lift."[3] Use love, empathy and compassion to defeat the edge of burnout.

Living on the edge of who God created you to be

What if the edge you face is frightening, but beyond it is something greater than you could imagine?

Several years ago, I faced the edge of choosing success as defined by the world, rather than by God. As I began to feel called to know Jesus through the guidance of a great mentor, I still kept one leg over the ridge in the world of self-driven happiness.

As the fog came into my life, it was hard to make out what God was beckoning me to. It was easy to get lulled to sleep, forgetting that worldly success would numb me to the reality of something eternal and so much greater.

I'm glad to say I took the leap of faith and entrusted my life to a Savior who brought me out of the deep valley. He has led me to a world of grace, mercy and heavenly affection so much greater than any worldly success.

Make the leap

As the three men slid down the icy cliff, the wind stung their ears with numbing speed. They wondered if they would ever stop. Finally, they shot out onto level ground and slowed enough before impacting a snowbank.

As Alfred Lansing describes it: "The three men picked themselves up. They were breathless and their hearts were beating wildly. But they found themselves laughing uncontrollably. What had been a terrifying prospect possibly a hundred seconds before had turned into breathtaking triumph."[4]
Only you will know what kind of edge is set before you. If it is burnout, use each day to regain yourself and begin to care more deeply for those around you.

If God is calling you to the other side of the ridge, maybe it's time to take a leap of faith.

[1] Most of the anecdotes regarding this exploration story have come from Alfred Lansing's book "Endurance."
[2] https://www.biblicalleadership.com/blogs/why-your-time-off-will-never-be-enough-to-truly-de-stress-you/
[3] https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/04/26/717272708/does-taking-time-for-compassion-make-doctors-better-at-their-jobs
[4] Alfred Lansing's Endurance, pg. 339.

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Brian Catanella is passionate about sharing Christian leadership principles through his writing, coaching, volunteering and professional life. While professionally a consultant through UBS Institutional Consulting Group with a finance background, he is fueled daily by sharing God's love and wisdom to help contribute to the future development of coaches, teachers, parents and leaders. He is active in serving his local church in Moorestown, New Jersey where he attends with his wife and two sons. Learn More »

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