Finding Hope in the Midst of Disaster

I was moved by the state memorial given to the 25 victims and heroes of the fires in NSW, Australia. The front page of the Daily Telegraph was of the Rural Fire Service Commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons walking with pregnant widow Megan McPaul through a guard of honour in memory of her dead husband Sam, one of the six firefighters who died in the NSW, Australia fires in January.

18.6 million hectares (46 million acres) were burnt in Australia. More than one billion animals were killed. 3,500 homes and 5,852 outbuildings were destroyed. 34 people lost their lives.

Disaster

And there has been the deadly coronavirus—COVID-19— that struck China in December 2019. As I write (February 24) there have been 2,619 deaths attributable to the disease, 79,364 cases have been confirmed, including each of the provinces of China and more than two dozen other countries. Of these, 11,569 cases are serious.

Disaster

It’s not been a great start to the new decade.

But in some worst-affected areas of burnt-out Australia, the sight of plants growing back and animals returning to habitats is raising spirits. It gives hope that life can return and a new start can begin.

Hope.

And in China, some are now saying that there are already signs that China will emerge from the coronavirus crisis stronger than ever before.

According to Fionn Wright, who has been dubbed by City Weekend Magazine as one of the “11 Most Influential Movers & Shakers in Shanghai,” some industries are already booming, “from medical to online education to food delivery. The altered ecosystem during the crisis is forcing people to find new ways of accessing what they need.”

Despite the short term effects on many industries across China,” he adds, “it is unlikely to have a long-term destabilizing impact on China’s economy, which is already in the midst of a major adjustment, and this event will in many ways accelerate the pace of adjustment towards adaptability and resilience.” He lists ten reasons why China will emerge from the crisis stronger than before.

Hope.

“What doesn’t break you only makes you stronger,” Wright reminds us.

The Australian and Chinese people are resilient and will find ways to rise from their respective crises and come back even stronger than before.

We’re all familiar with the term “reboot” when it comes to computers. Rebooting is a troubleshooting method we have all used when our computer is giving us trouble. You've used it. So have I. Many times.

The Australian and Chinese crises provide each with the opportunity to "reboot."

As you “reboot” your computer, you cannot use it for a few minutes until it is ready. It has to take time to start all over again. But you live in hope that once it is up and running again, it will be running better than what it was previously.

Hope.

The fires, the coronavirus and any personal crisis you are going through don't have to be a total disaster. Sometimes an area of your life—or perhaps more than one—has gone completely off track and makes you feel bogged down and like you just can’t move forward. We all face crises in our lives and often what is needed is a “reboot” in the midst of pain and suffering to bring newness of life again.

Hope.

In 2011 I found myself in a personal crisis. It was outright horrible (see another blog I wrote). I applied Reboot #10 of a great list of ten “reboot” changes suggested by Marelisa Fabrega. Here is a quick summary of her list:

1. Reboot Your Diet If you’ve been eating unhealthy foods your body may need a detoxification “reboot.” A focused, short term diet will allow your body to eliminate toxins and jump-start a weight loss program or help you to completely alter your eating habits.

2. Reboot Your Wardrobe Courtney Carver invented Project 333 to challenge people to wear only 33 articles of clothing for 3 months — including clothes, shoes, jewellery and accessories. Go through your wardrobe and choose the 33 items you’ll be wearing for the next three months. Put everything else in sealed boxes out of sight. It will motivate you to keep everything in your closet clean and in good shape (after all, you only have a few things to wear).

3. Reboot A Room Choose a room of your house and take everything out leaving an empty room, which will allow you to see how open and free the space feels. Slowly, only put back the things that you need, love, and use (essential).

4. Reboot on a Retreat When experiencing chronic stress or emotional, mental and physical exhaustion, she suggests going on a retreat for a few days to help you clear your mind and gain a new perspective. This could be for fitness, your marriage or your career.

5. Reboot Your Internal Clock There’s scientific research to back up a fast for the 12-16 hour period before you want to be awake as a means to body clock working smarter or more efficiently.

6. Reboot Your Calendar Fabrega suggests you should sit down with a blank sheet of paper and start re-creating your calendar from scratch to re-evaluate what is really important in your daily, weekly and monthly schedules. Only put back into your schedule the things that you absolutely need to do, and the things that you love to do.

7. Reboot Your Finances Write an “absolute essentials” list and for 30 days, spend absolutely no money except for the things on your “essentials” list.

8. Reboot Your Goals Take a look at the goals that you set at the beginning of the year. Choose just one and discard the rest and start fresh on that goal, as if it were January 1st.

9. One-Hour-A-Day Reboot Start each morning with a clean slate by devoting the first hour (four activities of 15 minutes each) of the day to doing the following: eating a healthy breakfast, journaling, prayer or meditation and exercise.

10. Extreme Reboot Sometimes life is so off course that we need an “extreme” reboot. This may mean quitting your job, filing for divorce, selling everything that you own, and moving to a new city or country.

If you are in a crisis right now, I suggest you look for the hope in the darkness. I took great courage from a favourite scripture: "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you—plans to give you hope and a future." I have managed to reboot my life and move forward again. You can too.