Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Disaster!

The word from my heart pocket is Disaster.

It is disastrous. We give it a go and it just doesn't work. In fact, it's a complete failure. Or is it?

Disasters do something to us. They affect us in a big way. They flip us upside down and they cause us to rethink everything. Sometimes they cause us to do the thinking that might have been done before we began.

There is a beautiful reaction to global disasters. People come together. Differences are forgotten and we reach out to each other in care and compassion. Historically, even the man-made disaster of war has been "put on hold" so parties could tend to the sick and dying caused by a natural disaster.

One of the most incredible results of a world disaster is the huge amount of creativity that comes forward. Innate talent emerges out of the ethers. The notion of risk is released and energy rises. Fear literally goes away when we are in service to others, when we work toward a common goal.

On the most basic level, this is how creativity works best. We don't need a disaster for the process to kick in. We can train ourselves to approach a project (i.e., our lives) without fear. We can become risk friendly. We can let down our guard and loosen up to let our lights shine.

The most creative times have no boundaries. If we are starting from scratch, needing to resolve a problem, climbing out of a hole, overcoming an obstacle - recovering from a disaster - just as we would do for someone in need, we could do for ourselves. Imagine it. Superimpose someone in your place and nurture that person by letting go of the fear - even if just long enough to come up with a solution. What's the worst that can happen? Oops. Aren't we dealing with a disaster? Isn't THAT the worst? With nothing to lose, anything becomes possible. Can everything, then, always be possible?

Disaster feels real and we are knocked flat when it happens to us. It is good to take time to catch our breath, to rest from the blow and when the dust settles a bit, begin to think about how to respond. Each disaster comes with its own prescription. All disasters respond well to specific actions:

- Proactive choices. Get off the couch and out into the world. We heal more quickly when we have something to do in response.

- Take time to think. We live in a fast world but that doesn't mean we have to drive in that lane. Give yourself the gift of time. Don't put a boundary on it. It will find that on its own. A disaster offers a clean slate. We get to start over. In some instances, this is a relief. In others, it might feel insurmountable. A blank canvas. What kind of picture do I want to paint this time? How do I want it to look? Activate your imagination. Do whatever it takes to let yourself dream. It works when we get out of the way.

- When you begin again, start slowly. Set a clear intention for every step of the way. This keeps you from becoming overwhelmed in the wake of the disaster. It's an outline for the book you're writing. It's the business plan. It is also a very nurturing gesture. Then let go and simply do the plan. Don't hold the reins too tight. Creativity is sitting right beside you and as you do your part, she is doing hers. She needs room to breathe, just like you. Build time in every day to offer relief - to you and to your project. The greatest ideas just follow their nose.

Disaster has gifts. It feels bad and that feeling can be our teacher. We learn how we react in a crisis. We learn what we like and what we don't. We also learn about others in our lives. Disaster is a life lesson on many levels and when there is distance between us and it, we see it with a different perspective. Maybe we are proud of our response. Maybe we see how it helped us in another part of our lives. Always, we recover if that is what we want. 

We are survivors. Disaster offers the opportunity to thrive beyond what was. We receive a slew of new options when we experience disaster and yet another chance to change.