Category: Harvey

Respond, Recover, Rebuild

Part of what makes natural disasters so crushing and overwhelming is the magnitude of them – the number of people impacted, in both the short-term and down the road. As we look at Houston, in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, it’s difficult to quantify the mass devastation. Our hearts ache as we see person-after-person and family-after-family who have lost everything. And while as observers we care, and demonstrate that concern by sharing money, prayers and other resources, and while many of us are glued to news sources, sometimes for weeks, eventually, life outside of the area returns to status quo.

The thing is, we all have Harveys in our lives. Sometimes we hide them from the world and sometimes due to circumstances, they are on display for the world, or our community, to see. And the question is: How do we respond to the Harvey in our own lives? How do we respond, recover and rebuild? How do we show up?

In life coaching, we do not look back. We look at where we are, and the client determines where they want to go. Often, they don’t know right away, so we ask key questions, to uncover true desires. Respond. Recover Rebuild. Generally, the first response comes immediately. Recovery comes with time. Rebuilding comes after we catch our breath and ask, “What now?”

The world is responding to Houston, through the Day of Giving and other channels that people are using to help those who have lost so much. We’ve seen it before on a large scale with 9/11 and Katrina, with school shootings and towns devastated by tornadoes or fires. We’ve seen it locally in our communities – families who have received a life-threatening medical diagnosis, suffered a fire, or lost loves ones in an accident, or betrayal, only to be surrounded by support and love of those they know, and sometimes complete strangers. We know that difficult times bring out the best in humanity – and in ourselves.

What are you recovering from? Where are you in your journey to rebuild? Most people know what it feels like to question hope. Most of us have asked why at least once in our lives. That’s normal. It’s healthy. It’s also healthy to find the courage to rebuild and stand back up even when your legs are weak. If you’re still in a place where you need to reflect and look back, consider talking to a therapist. When you’re ready to move forward and face the world head on, one step at a time, a life coach can help you build your plan.  Dad house fire

Responding to Hurricane Harvey

As pictures pour in from the catastrophic conditions in Houston and Southeast Texas, naturally, the nation and the world want to help. It’s hard to hear the dire warnings and see the people who are “luckily” escaping with their lives and maybe a family pet or garbage bag of belongings. Thankfully, fellow Texans, emergency response teams, the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and others, have called upon every resource available to help.

Perhaps like you, watching the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and the torrential rains that followed, leave me wondering how I can help from 2500 miles away. From a physical standpoint, the most needed resources are money (to legitimate charities), blood (to the American Red Cross), volunteer hours (if you are nearby) and of course goodwill and prayer. Here are a few organizations that are participating in hurricane relief efforts:

As a life coach, I’m also asking what I would have done if I had been in their shoes – or how I would have coached a client to prepare for a pending disaster, even before the warnings sounded.

Here’s one way to prepare yourself: Set aside two weekends to disaster-ready your life. The first weekend, create a drill whereby you (and/or your family) receive evacuation orders, assuming you will have nothing physically left when you return. What is most important? What will you need? How will you prioritize it? What is your game plan for evacuation? Make a physical list. Don’t worry if you can’t find something on it, just make a list of what you need / want.

The second weekend, pull together everything on your list. What important documents you will need? Are there photos or meaningful family items that you would be devastated to lose? Scan them, buy a jump drive and save them. Try to get as much of your life as you can on a jump drive or pulled together in a small safe or special place. Take pictures of items you will want to turn into the insurance company.

Earlier this year, my home was robbed. I was gone an hour and eight minutes. This summer, the region where I live was heavily impacted by fires and my sister’s property was within a mile of properties being evacuated. In 2015, my parents’ home caught fire. Crimes, accidents and natural disasters happen quickly. As a life coach, I help people prepare for the worst so that if it happens, they have the resources to recover the documents, memories, photos and other items they need and that mean the most to them.