When crisis hits our hearts

People reading or watching videos online of the latest upsetting crisis.  

Absorbing our feelings around a crisis

I had a fun topic planned for this newsletter, until Hurricane Helene struck and thousands of people are now living in unimaginable crises. Except that as someone that witnessed Katrina, it is imaginable to me. I’m definitely triggered and struggling to find joy in my postings, when it all seems so pointless. So let’s talk about it. 

Feeling helpless during a crisis

In times of crises, strife and uncertainty, it's very easy to get caught up in despair and apathy. It's especially hard to live peacefully day-to-day when you know that there are thousands of people living in a crisis situation. On one hand, we are fully capable of sticking our heads in the sand, self-medicating from the harsh reality, and just going about our day as if everything is “normal.” That is until you get on social media and you're inundated with pictures and videos of devastation, and war, and ugly politics, and famous people doing really atrocious things. We are living in this surreal experience where there are atrocities happening constantly, but unless it's directly affecting us, we get to live as if things are fine when in reality, we know they are not. 

Obviously, there's so much I could cover in this letter, but I want to stay focused on the devastation and current crises of hurricane Helene and what you can do about it on a personal level when you feel like there's nothing you can do about it. How to avoid total apathy, but protect your peace because life is rough for many, on many levels.

So the first most obvious thing is to physically volunteer in the areas of devastation, if you are capable of that. The second most obvious thing is to donate money if you are able to do that. However, I know that for most people those are not options. I think that the majority of Americans are struggling financially and so financially donating is not an option as much as some people would like to be able to. And as far as physically helping, there's many reasons a lot of people won't be able to go to the area to do that. And that is OK. You don't have to feel guilty or bad about that. 

So what are some other options? 

How can you help when crisis strikes?

(Pulled from  www.wikihow.com/Help-During-a-Natural-Disaster)

-Donate Blood

-Donate clothes and household items if you live near an affected area. Search NVOAD online to find local food banks, shelters, and faith-based organizations that are providing relief efforts and to find out what items are accepted. Keep in mind, organizations may not accept certain items if they can’t use them right away.[7]

• Sometimes, even basic necessities, like water bottles, can’t be accepted due to logistics like storage space and delivery costs, so it’s best to call ahead or check online to find out what’s needed.

• The supplies that are needed often depend on the type of disaster. For instance, mops, buckets, and dehumidifiers might be needed if you want to help flood victims.

• While it may be natural to want to send toys to help comfort children who have been affected, toys are typically not encouraged because they are not considered an immediate need, and also due to other concerns such as storage and distribution.

-Share posts about what’s going on to let others know. Getting the word out about the need for help can be more impactful than any donation you might make. Share news stories that cover breaking info pertaining to the disaster. Strike up conversations online to let folks know how serious the situation is. This can mobilize people to donate their time, money, and energy to help people in need.

-Find local volunteer options that are gathering items for affected areas.

Here are a couple of more ideas: 

-If you have any type of business that has virtual options that can be helpful, figure out what you can offer for a discounted rate, or free, for as long as you are able to. Every bit counts. There is never too little of an offering when so many people are in desperate need. 

Gather in groups, and focus prayer, meditation, and healing energy to affected areas. While this obviously can, and should also be done solo, I specifically mention groups, because when more than one person gathers, not only do they lift up the people they are sending energy to, they lift one another up. Multiply the love that is created and being sent out.

Protecting your peace during crises

Lastly  I want to remind you that it is OK to look away sometimes. It's OK to only live your present life for a little while and even to have joy. It's OK to not want to view the graphics on your phone constantly. In fact, I highly encourage you to avoid too much of the visuals because it can cause secondary trauma. Especially if you are someone who has lived through a natural disaster before, it can be very triggering and take you into a dark place from what you experienced. 

So it is absolutely OK and it is healthy to protect your peace in these times. You don't have to be any sort of martyr and you don't need to have survivor's guilt, and feel like the least you could do is listen, and read about it, and watch videos of it constantly.  It’s easy to get caught in the mentality that the least you can do is engulf yourself  in the energy of it, while others are actually living it. (I fall for this sometimes).

Instead you can tap in and out in a manner which is healthy for your mind-body and spirit. And since everything is energy, that's actually a better way to help. Stay grounded in gratitude for your life experience, while finding ways to help that fit who you are and what your life allows for.

I hope that this article is helpful to someone whose wheels are spinning and feeling helpless and hopeless. I hope it has brought some ideas your attention that will lead you to find ways that you can best serve. 

And of course, I want to speak directly to any of my people that read this article that are living in the disaster zones. You are in my heart, you're in my mind. I am gathering people in community, to focus healing energy towards you and I hope that you may feel that glow of love in some way. I am also creating some free on line gatherings for breathwork and meditation to help bring any bit of peace of mind, if even only briefly. As well as I will be opening my books to some Hurricane Helene victims for some free one on one Intuitive Healing sessions. 

May peace be with all of you.