Lessons Learned from Hurricane Sandy

I have had some time to reflect after being displaced for over a week. Being a creature of habit and having my routine disrupted, I confess that there have been some very uncomfortable moments.

I try to live knowing that everything that happens in life is for my growth. And when I look at things that way, it creates more serenity, no matter what the current challenge is.

So what were some of the lessons learned?

We are resilient. Before the buses were on the streets, droves of New Yorkers were walking the avenues.  Yes, the NYC Marathon was called off, but for everyday men and women, we had another type of Marathon, and we ALL were winners. Cabs were shared, the local Starbucks became the place to recharge phones and computers. We were out and about.

We share common bonds. I have noticed that during crises, people are more apt to talk with strangers and offer random acts of kindness. I was speaking with New Yorkers that ordinarily I wouldn't have known. Our common bond of living through a challenge was greater than any feeling of how we were different.

We depend on our strength to get us through. Often I depend on cellphones and computers to keep me connected.  But when the power went out, I had to look for something deeper. A sense of my Higher Self--that part of me that knows the truth in any situation. There is a depth to us that sometimes is not tapped into because of the constant distractions that are around.

We get to focus on our real priorities. A fierce challenge can force us to reevaluate our lives and look at what's really important. If this was the last day of my life, (which it isn't), but could be, would I be content with who I am and what I have achieved?  If the answer is no, we have some inner work to do to make things different.

But the real lesson here is that we don't have to have a crisis to connect with our strength and our real priorities.  All it takes is a desire to live fully and in line with why we are here on the planet.  We all have a higher goal, higher purpose if we take the time to connect with it.