Disaster happens! Severe tornadoes and the Mississippi River flooding are the latest in a long line of environmental catastrophes. Lost or damaged homes, human life, possessions and crops have, once again, brought despair to human beings who urgently need a way to cope with the adversity that life can bring.
Viewing a situation in terms of its opportunities rather than its agonies can help anyone, anywhere to deal with hardship. What if there was actually a grander purpose in all crises? What if tragedies such as this could make us stronger and wiser? What if we could learn something profound or useful from our experience? I believe that it is the nature of the Universe in which we live to challenge us to improve ourselves and discover hidden pockets of knowledge and power that we didn’t even know we possessed. If we open to this possibility, not only can we navigate rough waters more easily, but we can also develop amazing new versions of ourselves – ones more masterful and empowered, self-aware and compassionate.
My life has certainly had its trials. I’ve struggled with chronic illness, an estranged sister, irrational fear, deep loss, the murder of a close friend and a myriad of other “mountains to climb.” I’ve worked with students and clients who’ve faced similar challenges: abuse, loss of jobs, homes and loved ones, hospitalizations, domestic violence, and yes, environmental disasters. All of these events tend to rip us down, bring us to our knees or leave us raw. And yet, it is in these very moments, when we are feeling most vulnerable, that we become willing to reach outward and upward. We agree to reinvent ourselves, to consider new ideas, new knowledge, new behavior. So it’s really to our advantage to undergo adversity with an attitude of curiosity and eagerness to learn what we can on the journey. We are being presented with an amazing opportunity to make changes that we’ve always desired.
When I was hospitalized a few years ago for 12 days with a serious and unusual illness, I was terrified at first. I couldn’t have felt more vulnerable during that time. And to make matters worse, my doctors were anxious and concerned about me. They were afraid I wouldn’t make it, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure what was going on. I was as frightened as I’d ever been, and it didn’t help that medication I was on was adding to the almost constant anxiety. I was dealing with loss at all levels, work, home, familiar surroundings, people I usually spent time with, a functional body etc. But as I moved through my fears, using all the inner tools I had, including deep prayer and finally surrender, I was given all the resources I needed to further access and activate new inner sources of insight, understanding and vigor. I have to admit that this experience helped to make me what I am today. When the storm finally let up 5 months later, new and wonderful things came into my life, as if they were waiting for me to make room for them. I published two books and began a new business, both of which I am extremely grateful for, and honored to share with others.
However, the important story here isn’t so much “me” and “my” life. It’s really about all of us, and the amazing human capacity we have to transcend real tragedy and rise from its ashes. The human spirit is incredible, powerful, clever and resourceful. If we can just believe this, we find that we can overcome any condition or circumstance with amazing results! To me, evolution is about change, and change is first and foremost about letting go of mind-sets we’ve been holding onto that are really hurting us in some way. Catastrophe provides a vehicle for letting go. Evolution is also about adapting attitudes and perceptions that bring about greater freedom, security and happiness. Viewing my illness in retrospect, I can see how Divine Spirit was at work the whole time, cradling me and urging me forward, sometimes gently, sometimes forcefully. Yes, it took time, and yes, the journey was uncomfortable, to say the least. But now I see through different eyes and have total confidence that anyone who faces a catastrophe, if they want to, can fly again, this time higher than ever before!

Author's Bio: 

Laurie Pappas Ph.D.

Dr. Laurie Pappas, a writer, educator, counselor, trained mediator, speaker, writer and metaphysician, is the Co-Founder of the Metro Detroit Center for Attitudinal Healing, a non-profit organization, and directed the activities of the center for 16 years. She has also conducted spiritual/metaphysical, counseling sessions for 22 years. Dr. Pappas has taught classes and workshops, and trained personal growth group leaders during this period of time, in addition to having been a frequent columnist for PhenomeNews, a large Detroit metaphysical newspaper in the early nineties.

As a young adult, while Laurie worked in elementary education, she began her search for the underlying causes of disharmony and discord among school children. Several years later, community service work for the hungry and homeless brought her attention to the role that the mind plays in creating abundance or scarcity, peace or conflict. These experiences led her first to the field of Guidance and Counseling, and eventually to the study of Metaphysics, where she was able to obtain satisfying answers to her questions and workable solutions to many of life’s challenges.

In the spring of 2005, Laurie was program chairperson of the 7th Annual Conference on Nonviolence, Peace and Prosperity held in Detroit. She is a recipient of the 2005 International Peace Prize, Key of Success Award, and Woman of the Year Award, bestowed by the United Cultural Convention of the United States of America for outstanding personal achievements to the good of society as a whole.

Dr. Pappas is author of two books; The Loving Heart: Navigating the Journey from Conflict to Peace, and The Loving Heart Companion: An Interactive Journal.