It seems that floods are the new norm in North America these days, after the hurricane that hit the East Coast of the U.S. last year, the devastating flooding in Alberta, and the now famous Toronto flood of July 2013. I’ll never forget the drive home that night, the rain seemed to get stronger and stronger and within no time the water levels had caused mass flooding, citywide blackouts, and Internet and cellular service to go down. I remember that evening at home being so eerie, with no working cell phone or power to watch television I had no connection with the outside world until well into the next day.
When I finally got access to a television I was shocked at the impact of the storm. Subway stations completely flooded and inoperable, trains stranded with thousands of passengers aboard for several hours, not to mention hundreds of flooded basements leaving residents with quite the mess to clean up, lost mementos, and insurers with a financial disaster.
What was so interesting to see in moments like this is how people responded. Some people loved the power being out. Some people loved the loud crackle of the thunderstorms. Some people loved the lightening. Others – not so much.
We witnessed people coming to the assistance of their neighbors, officers and fireman working through the night in small inflatable rafts in order to rescue people in need. It was fascinating to me to see how people respond in moments of uncertainty. I have come to believe that it is our response to the uncertainty of life that greatly determines the outcome of our lives. When you get uncertain – do you run or do you press on? Do you run to alcohol, drugs, sugar, sex or food? Or do you drop down on your yoga mat or meditation pillow and do some inner work?
Are you afraid of the storms of life (because we all have them) – or do you welcome them all as teachers? I’m not generally afraid of storms; my uncertainty trigger is not having enough money to get by. When that gets triggered for me, it’s very hard to see it as a lesson, because I’m fearful that my survival will be challenged. What works for me is to go within and surrender to my higher power, all my fears, all my doubts and all my worries. And then with a little help from my friends and amazing partners in business I begin to take action. Action towards my dreams, action towards serving others and action towards fixing the problem.
I have learned to not let my response to uncertainty run my life, but instead choose my response to uncertainty and welcome it as a natural part of life.
So – what do you do when you face uncertainty? Is there a healthier way for you to deal with what’s going on in your life right now? By finding the strength within ourselves and from those around us, we can overcome obstacles and create better habits to weather life’s storms.