Last week, storm Sandy had her way with the east coast and my city. Like so many others, I had a busy work week and life scheduled in the midst of her arrival and despite my best preparation, most didn’t happen. The days following, my assistant and I worked diligently but, due to intermittent phone and electricity availability, our productivity was nothing short of challenging. I had a choice to completely stress about the interruption or sit and look in at the bigger picture. I chose the latter and what I saw was amazing.
During my ‘down time’ I gained some perspective – I had the choice to freak out, become fearful, or remain peaceful despite the chaos around me. My being anxious would only have added to the collective suffering. I never want to add to chaos, only aid in resolving it. And my being calm is the best way to ease suffering.
Mother Nature enforced a slowdown and I could feel all that I was feeling – even as the pendulum swung from nervousness to gratitude. Friends without electricity said they went to bed at night earlier than usual and were better rested because of it. My family checked on me regularly and their attention gave me courage. I don’t have a TV by choice but was being kept updated on the storm’s course and learned this was the worst natural disaster to hit NYC since 1888. It was then that NYC moved electrical lines underground, which probably saved countless lives this week. One of my mentors explained: Storm Sandy came through not as punishment but with another huge opportunity for us to wake up and symbolically wash away anything we chose to.
So Sandy, let’s recap what was on this week’s lesson plan:
Do less.
Feel more.
Connect with those you love, often and regularly.
Get more sleep.
Feel gratitude.
Have courage and faith.
Practice peacefulness even in the midst of chaos.
Learn from mistakes.
Prepare for the future.
Live now.
This personal inconvenience is still an ongoing nightmare for others. One of the things I find most beautiful about NYC is her resilience. Even when knocked down to her knees, she always picks herself back up.
You can too.
Live calm,
