With so many natural disasters happening around the world, this month we’re looking at finding resilience …how to cope, how to find your inner strength when something completely unexpected happens and knocks you for six, how to find a way to bounce back and rebuild your life.
Of course, disaster comes in different shapes and forms. On a personal level, a relationship ends, a loved one dies, you lose your financial security, a health problem comes up, a way of life ends. Bigger picture, there’s climate change and the elements – earthquakes, floods, cyclones, fires – and the impact on our environment.
Living in Vanuatu which has faced a changing environment for centuries, the acceptance and resilience of the local people is inspiring. Two days after two back-to-back cyclones, TC Judy and Severe TC Kevin, Cat 4, earlier this year, I found a gaggle of men and women on the road walking to work. Some had lost their homes, tele-communications were down. In spite of that, they were going to work. Their families cleared up at home, those who worked cleared up at work..and their infectious smiles were still there.
The world has changed since Covid, most of us have been impacted by change. Navigating change is never smooth. We can feel decidedly wobbly, might think that we’ll never going to get through it, sometimes feel downright helpless. And yet…it’s through change, through upheaval that we find our resilience, learn to be creative and find ways to do things differently.
Are you worried about climate change ….what you might do if disaster comes to your door? What is it you need?