Survive! First Things First!
No one likes going through personal disasters of any kind. We don’t feel as if we will survive. We feel as if we have no control over our world. We may feel as if we are under an avalanche of problems in all areas of our lives. We feel powerless.
After coming through our landslide, we could have chosen to live as victims of fate, bemoaning our circumstances and living in constant fear, however, we consciously chose to follow a different path and that has made all the difference. Along the way, I acquired a few tips to help us survive, live better lives and experience more joy and well-being every day.
First, realize that you are not powerless because you have one significant power – the power of your mind. You are used to using the conscious part where thoughts flow continually. But are you overlooking your non-conscious aspect of mind that provides access to resources and solutions in ways you might never have considered? As you learn about both aspects of mind, you will find it helpful to overcome negative life events and experience joy, well-being and inner peace once again.
Start right where you are: Keep the main thing the main thing.
Immediately after a disaster, we have to survive. We have to focus on physical safety and taking care of ourselves. Are we okay? Any life threatening situations. Is anyone in immediate danger? Get them to safety. Is there a medical emergency? Check the ABCs of medical care – air (breathing), bleeding and consciousness. Take care of what you can and call for help. 911, friends, family, your faith institution, and your community – all become a lifeline to survival. And it’s a good time to pray. Not only does prayer helps to sustain you, it also opens a link to the non-conscious mind that is a source of inspiration, resources and solutions that you will need.
The next few weeks are going to be a period of healing on all levels. Surviving takes time. When we went through this, it took 6 weeks just to find some stability. Our little family complete with animals had to find immediate housing. We had to rescue what we could to carry us forward and find a place to store it. I walk you through this in more detail starting at page 15 of “Rainbows Over Ruins.”
The financial and legal aspects took 18 months to resolve and could have taken longer. During that time, we were advised to find a house to rent and go on with our lives. We were emotionally distressed. The time spent moving our belongings led to injuries and medical care. Forget about dreaming. We had to face each next step in that process and deal with it on a daily basis.
Slowly, once we knew we would survive the worst, even the elements of disaster took on a sort of normalcy and began to open up new possibilities. That’s when we began to dream forward again toward what we wanted for a permanent home. We’d take Sunday drives to look for a place that would serve us even better than our previous home. Starting on page 25 of “Rainbows Over Ruins,” I take you through the process that led to the ranch we call home today.
Over time, step by step, you will find the path to rebuild and may even make choices to create a new version of You. We are changed by trauma and it takes time to discover exactly how that will seek expression. Although you may not see it now, once you have healed, you may find this to be a very special time in which new opportunities are revealed and you gain access to your personal dreams in a new way.
To recap:
Give yourself permission to heal. Allow yourself to mourn what has been lost. Trauma reaches into the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual dimensions of our lives.
Get back to basics. Breathe deeply.
Survive. Deal with the emergencies.
Focus on the next presented things as they are revealed. First, we stabilize as we begin to restore our lives.
Be open to changes that begin to seek expression. Keep notes. Allow yourself to be blessed by disaster.
If you would like to read more tips, the full Survivor’s Guide is available at www.GiftFromSusan.com.
Remember, you have to do it on your own, but you do not have to do it alone. Please let me know if I can help you! I believe in you.
To Your Success,
Susan