Advice to those experiencing disasters

I just got home from being away for 11 days in Morocco for a race.  Helene had rolled through before I left, and I heard about Milton when I got back. 

A long-time subscriber named Sean Perry who lives in Asheville North Carolina told me in the comments about the predicament in Asheville.  They have no running water, among many other things.

I have gone through some significant disasters in my life including my home burning to the basement floor 10 years ago.

Here is my best advice to people in Tampa, Asheville, or anywhere – 

1) Know that you are not your stuff.  Not your house, not your cars, not your clothes or furniture, and not even your family photos and momentos.  You can do without stuff.  There will always be more stuff.

2) Who you are being and your relationships are most important.

3) I know you probably can’t see it now, but this is an opportunity.  Trust me.  You’ll see.

4) When emotions go up, intelligence goes down.  Try to get past the heightened emotion as soon as you can. Take your time to curse the wind.  Then be done. When you have some time where you are thinking clearly and calmly, make a plan.  

What is the end result you want in a year or two or three and will work towards?

What are the steps to getting there?

Organize those steps in order and priority.  What is first?

Once you figure that out, act on it.

One thing at a time.

5) If that is too much at the moment, then don’t try to figure it all out at once.  Just look up and ask “What do I have to do today?”  Be your best today.  This hour.  This minute.

6) Take care of your health.  If dealing with the disaster is wearing you down and down each day, take some “time off” and get some rest.  The bad event is one thing.  It happens once. (ok Tampa, maybe twice.) But we beat ourselves with it and release stress chemicals into our body by reliving it over and over.  Don’t make your response to the event worse than the event long term.

7) Don’t try to do it all yourself.  Ask “Who can help me?”

8) If you can’t figure out a long-term plan because there are unknowns, figure out an interim plan – for now.

9) One hour at a time, one minute at a time.

10)  You are not a victim.  This is a test to make you better and see what you can handle and who you can be.  Embrace it.

11) Don’t argue with what happened.  Accept it.  Then work to make things better as you always have.

12) I’d rather live in Asheville in America right now, than in Morocco.  You are still lucky. 

13) Help others.

14) Keep talking to others – but not so much to others who drag you down into despair.  Communicate – don’t withdraw.

14) Be grateful.  There is always plenty to be grateful for.

You have a lot of life ahead.  This will be a story soon enough.  Make it a happy ending by doing your best and not giving up.

I hope this helps.