Even a something as destructive as a hurricane can be a blessing in disguise.

I live in Northeastern Ohio and didn’t think Hurricane Sandy would affect the “Buckeye State” but it did. We lost power on Monday, October 29 at 8:30 pm. It was restored the afternoon of Friday, November 2.

My heart goes out to those in NY and NJ and everyone on the East Coast. Ohio didn’t see the amount of devastation that NY and NJ did, and I’m grateful for this.

Please donate what you can. Visit the American Red Cross to learn how you can help.

A hurricane wakes you up

I’ve experienced growing pains of the “spiritual” and personal development kind since I moved back to Ohio two years ago. I was upset that my move to Arizona in 2007 wasn’t a permanent one, but I now understand why I had to come back to my hometown. I had more growing up to do. Who knew?

After Hurricane Sandy settled down, I drove around our neighborhood and was amazed by Mother Nature’s power. Trees were uprooted all over the place. Streets were flooded and debris was everywhere; power lines were down. However, we were lucky. This was nothing compared to what people in New York and New Jersey experienced.

As I watched the rain, I realized how grateful I was to have had the luxury of having electricity, food, hot water, a washer and dryer, etc. a few days before Hurricane Sandy blew into town.

I write a list of gratitude in my journal almost daily, but the hurricane reminded me that it’s important to remain in a state of gratitude every day. It doesn’t matter if you write it or not just be grateful for what you have.

Losing power = learning what’s real and what’s not

Having the power knocked out and living with your family tests your patience, will, and strength.

Ironically, Hurricane Sandy forced my family to spend “real time” with each other.

What is “real time?”

Real time is when you pay attention to one another without having your nose buried in your BlackBerry, iPhone, iPad, MP3, laptop, Samsung Galaxy, MacBook, book, newspaper, magazine, or TV series.

Real time is when you eat dinner together at the same time.

Real time is going outside and chatting with the neighbors and consoling one another.

Real time is playing Uno and Apples to Apples with your niece and nephew.

And real time is spending time in nature and realizing the awesomeness of Mother Nature.

Family means more to you than you think it does

During the hurricane I realized that my family, my “close” family, means the most to me. They’re the ones who are there for me every day. They’re the ones who support me, and I support them.

My uncle’s an electrician and used to work for a local electric company in Cleveland. He sold a generator to his friend and contacted him to see if we could use the generator. His friend agreed and my uncle brought us the generator on Tuesday (power went out on Monday — we had to throw out food). Within an hour we were able to plugin our refrigerator, freezer, and two lamps. It was nice to have light again.

The next day my uncle called to say he was coming back over because the temperatures were supposed to drop into the 30s. He came over and gave us heat by somehow hooking up our furnace to the generator through our electrical box. It was SAFE! I was extremely grateful to have heat.

Hurricane Sandy made me realize that my close family means more to me than I thought. I know that sounds awful. Like I didn’t appreciate my family but the truth is I didn’t. Why? I’ve always felt the outsider; the one who beats to her own drum and does her own thing. The one who felt like she was adopted!

If you don’t have family, you really don’t have anything. No amount of material things will fill the empty void inside of you.

I know that some people can’t depend on their biological family or have cut ties with them for various reasons. The good news is you can create your own family by handpicking close friends to surround, love, and support you. This is what matters NOT whether or not you share the same surname and blood type.

Worrying is useless

I’ve been studying personal development aka self-help materials since 2007 when I had an epiphany that I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I’ve grown by leaps and bounds since 2007 and realized that worrying is useless. All it does is bring to you more things to worry about every day.

I no longer worry about tomorrow.

I no longer worry that I’m not pleasing others.

I no longer worry that certain family members and I are no longer on speaking terms. This one’s definitely a blessing in disguise.

I no longer worry about the economy.

I no longer worry…plain and simple.

A strong gust of wind and hard rain can wash you clean

If you’ve been feeling like you want to make changes in your life, a hurricane, metaphorically speaking, may be just what you need.

Hard rain can wash away the old and bring the new to the surface. Rinse out old belief systems and values and replace them with ones that resonate with you. Cut ties with people who don’t support you; they’re probably energy vampires anyway.

Strong winds can blow away the dust from your life and polish you at the same time. The harder you struggle or push against wind will only tire you out. Stand still and don’t make a fuss.

Think about how you want your life to be now and sketch it out on a piece of paper or daydream about it. Figure out what you want to do and pursue it. Take a chance — it won’t hurt you. On the contrary, it will make you stronger and wiser.

Open your eyes to the possibilities because they’re endless. You do live in an unlimited universe.

If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help it spread by sharing it on Twitter, Facebook, and StumbleUpon, emailing it to a friend, or pinning it. Thank you!

Did Hurricane Sandy turn your life upside down? What blessings can you find in the midst of turmoil? Share.

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