When Disaster Strikes
I wish that title was merely a hypothetical for me, but the reality is that my family lost everything we owned in a fire 11 days after my 11th birthday. There have been several fires on the news lately, including the long fire season in California last year. Each time I see a new fire report on the news, it brings me back to that cold morning in March when we were living in Champagne, IL. We stood outside freezing, watching as everything we owned burned in our apartment building, all because someone wanted to know what it felt like to start a fire.
As I think about that night I often wonder, “What would someone I know do if they had a fire?” Do you know what possessions you would try to save? What would you try to gather as you ran out the door? It’s good to have a plan so you don’t lose it all, but no one is ever really prepared for a fire, even if they think they are. You never know it’s coming and there’s no time to think once it happens, only to act. The hardest things for me to lose were our photos, because they were the only material things we couldn’t replace. But the most important thing to save is your life and the lives of those you love. While photos can’t be replaced memories can live on, and people truly are the only thing you can’t replace.
Fires, floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes are incredibly powerful forces with the ability to strike anytime they please. There isn’t a way to fully plan for these disasters, so it’s important to live in a way that when the unexpected happens you don’t leave any unsettled business behind. If you feel you have unsettled business in your life right now, take time to make it right for yourself and those in your life. I hope you never have to run from a disaster, but if you do, remember that you have the love and kindness of those around you to support you.
This week I encourage you to create an escape plan or update an existing plan you already have. If you have others in your house, create it together and be sure everyone knows what to do if that moment ever comes. While you may not be able to save everything, you have the power to plan ahead and save the most precious possessions: your life and the lives of those you love.
What does living your exceptional life look like to you?
What disaster scares you the most?
Have you lived through a disaster? What was your saving grace?
Are you prepared to run from a disaster with no regrets for what you’ll leave behind? #Inspire #HaveAPlan #MotivationalSpeaker #ActivationalSpeaker #BetheException #PineapplePrinciple
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