What a fitting quote from Napoleon Hill today:

“Someone once observed that the reason we often fail to recognize opportunities is because they come disguised as problems”

This applies so well to the past year with the pandemic as well as this week’s issues in Texas (and the rest of the affected areas in the country who are much better prepared than us).

Last March within a few weeks of the “use a mask” decree people started making them. Some for profit and some to give away. As the weeks passed more and more companies and people went into the mask business. Since then even more innovative ideas were created and marketed. Big companies started moving from their normal business to making emergency equipment. And of course the rapid creation of the vaccines was amazing.

Look at all that businesses and the government learned about remote working. Their “worst fears” (people being lazy; work not getting done; inability to control the employees etc) never really came true (as far as I’ve seen anyway).

So if big business and even the big government can adapt and make positive solutions (well I guess most solutions are positive lol), we, as individuals, should be able to. On a personal level I wrote about my own plan yesterday.

On Monday I really didn’t know what was up or what to do. You begin to “panic” or get anxious. Then, at least for me, I sat back and let my brain go through its library of memories and recognize similar situations. Then it “checked those memories out of the library” and allowed me to look through them.

These “memories” included growing up in New York where there were occasional hurricane warnings which of course were ‘handled’ by my parents. But I probably absorbed something. Then there were snow issues going to school in Vermont and then Iowa where ‘snow’ is NOT a 4 letter word. I’ve also lived in other hurricane prone areas. Then there was my military training and the field work I had done there. Although not as much as many it helped a lot. Maybe the best memory book I reviewed was all the races in cold weather I’ve done. Especially the fixed time ones. Most of those were cold – especially the one where I met a wonderful woman, Marie Boyd! There are composite memories from the internet and from friends with more experience.

All these memories, once filtered and retrieved by my brain, became easily accessible and useful.

You just have to work your way past the initial anxiety or uncertainty and realize that massive storage system in your brain will provide you with many answers and solutions to your problems.

It starts with how you look at it. Start by realizing you’re alive and then whatever other blessings you have. This will calm your nervous system and then you’ll be able to go to the “library” with focus and filters. You can find the solution to most of your problems from your past experiences. And even if not the entire solution, it will be a good part of it and then your calmed brain should also guide you to where you can go for the rest of it.

Gratitude will also take you out of the complaining mode which simply withdraws energy that you need to find the answers. It also accomplishes absolutely nothing. Be grateful for those helping whose families are probably also affected but they are out there risking their lives for us.

The second and third order effects of this week’s ‘adventure’ are massive and we have to have some compassion for them. I think of all the farmers who have lost their entire citrus crop this week and even the dairy folks who are having to throw away millions of gallons of milk every day because they have no way to transport it.

My comment about not complaining is not meant to absolve those responsible for this massive failure but that situation needs to be examined after all the emotions have been defused.

Use your “private” library (your brain) more than your “public” one when you first need answers.

By the way it’s snowing again in San Antonio lol. I think I’m in a time warp transported to some other place. Lol.

Terrie

Good morning. I’m trying to get this in before the power goes off again. But once more I am extremely grateful that I have periods with power when others have had none. My only concern is my low water pressure but my neighbor says it’s not frozen pipes but due to problems at the pumping stations. Whatever that means lol. And I took wonderful Marie Boyd’s advice and found some thermos like containers that I hope will keep some of my coffee warm. I am still not brave enough to use the propane for the stove inside since it talks about carbon monoxide poisoning. Sigh. I’m a coward.

It’s funny. I have an Oura ring that monitors your sleep and it’s interesting that this week it’s told me my body temperature is elevated. Ha ha. That’s the only temperature that’s elevated in this house.

While the “blame game” is in full throttle mode, I know it does no good for me (since I am minimally affected) to participate in that game. Blaming others (or even yourself) does no good. It keeps you in the past or in the present. It prevents you from moving forward.

It’s important to spend your time looking at what happened and how you can continue to get through it and then what it means and how you can better prepare in the future.

1 – there really is a climate crisis and i think the events even over just this past year show that (fires, hurricanes, massive storms, heat and cold waves etc). Mother nature is trying to get our attention

2 – we should not rely on big government to take care of all our needs. I am not an extremist or advocating for overthrow or anything like that. The fact that Texas is on its own power grid and has been for many many years. That keeps it from federal regulation (leave it to Texas). But it also means we can’t borrow any power. So what? It just means that like everything else in our lives we must take care of ourselves as best we can.

3 – be prepared (boy I wish I had those “be prepared” Girl Scout cookies for this cabin fever. Or was “be prepared” just the Boy Scouts? Oh well hopefully the Scout Gods will not punish me if I’m wrong). Fortunately I was prepared for what I thought might be a problem with the coronavirus. But while that was good it wasn’t enough. And thanks to you guys who have made suggestions now I know better what I need to get together. I am not a “prepper” but will check out more of their ideas.

4 – maybe make a list of what you “suffered through “ during this storm (or others if you’re not in this one) and next to each item put a future solution and then what you have or need to get in order to cross that item off. I have always found that the be prepared lists at the dot gov sites are not thorough enough so now I can make my own list.

5 – find ways to “live” without power (outside of the basic need to keep cold or warm) and without your phone. Every time the power goes out my phone goes from “smart” to “really dumb”. I don’t know why the power would affect that but maybe it’s the WiFi servers or whatever. But there was minimal to no Facebook, no email, no internet etc. couldn’t even send iPhone messages. Only text messages (not that I really know why they would be different). So last night I spent time reading a real book. Imagine that. Lol. I could have continued to declutter. I also took naps when the power went out

6 – have what you need that doesn’t require refrigeration or freezing. And then if you need to “cook” something, find another way (again thank you Marie and Linda). And don’t forget the thermos. Lol.

7 – either keep these things in a central place or have a list of where they are. Excel is a good place to make a basic list with multiple columns. I have a funny story about that too.

8 – try to keep your medications up and don’t wait til the last minute like I did. Of course if you use the military pharmacy you can’t refill them until almost the last moment. But always keep an eye on what you need. If you have special needs make sure you know what to do if you need help (EG you’re on oxygen etc)

9 – have a generator and chargers but don’t just use them willy nilly. I have a million chargers and a generator so I made sure I charged them all up on Sunday. They don’t do any good if they aren’t charged. Lol. I also have solar panels but in some storms that won’t help. Like today won’t provide much solar energy but the last two days would have.

10 – think beyond (I really dislike the think outside the box phrase because it makes very little sense to me) and be creative. I went to bed fully clothed and after a bit got too warm. I have warm clothing because I do races in other places and because I’m from cold places. But if you don’t, you should get some.

11 – don’t expect businesses to be open or have anything. Truckers require diesel fuel and there isn’t any. Therefore they can’t bring us “things” – gas, food, basic supplies etc. most everything you have in the house has to be brought in from somewhere and that requires transportation. Don’t blame the stores. Don’t blame anyone. Instead….

12 – ask what you can do for others. I have been so touched that my neighbors have all checked on me. They didn’t have to but cared enough to do so. What more could I ask for. What can I do for others ? Not much right now but I can when this is over.

13 – most importantly be grateful. That you’re alive and well even if experiencing a lot of problems. Be grateful forThe little things. I have a gratitude list from this storm that is so long it’s amazing and I haven’t even completed it yet. Enough and I’m sorry it’s been long but it’s all important info. If I forgot things feel free to put them in the comments. It can turn into a community list. Many of you are much more experienced than I am.

I will update or make another post when I receive input from everyone – they are putting it on my Facebook page

Terrie