I’ve been covering what truly matters over the last few weeks. I have talked about money, people, work, and spirituality. My conclusion for my personal beliefs is that people are what matters most.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, we all watched in disbelief, with empathy and fear. The chaos is just too much to wrap our minds around. However, for the people who have lived through this destruction, the Hurricane was apocalyptic.
You can bet that their definition of what truly matters has changed.
It is personal, as I lived in the Gulf Coast city of Fort Myers, Florida, and Flat Rock, North Carolina. My husband grew up in North Carolina, where much of his family and friends live.
Our entertainment industry always shows catastrophic events in movies that affect the entire world. But if you are following the news, you see these life-altering events daily. All around the world, we see floods, earthquakes, drought, and fires that impact people’s lives. People worldwide are losing their homes, cars, jobs, and loved ones.
If you frame the question, what truly matters in this context? What is the most important? Once you have that answer, this is where you focus your time and energy. We need food, shelter, and water to exist. But the rest is how we prioritize our days, our lifestyle, and the habits we build. It is based on how we define meaning in our life.
People are resilient in times of challenges and setbacks but could also use a helping hand. We often take for granted the comfort of our homes, food in the refrigerator, and a car in the driveway with a tank full of gas. It is safer for us to live in our comfortable bubble because pictures of devastation like this are too much and too hard to digest. However, this should give you pause in your life. First, empathize with these people who need help, and hopefully, you will be encouraged to open your checkbooks and share with them.
How can you help?
I am using my blog and voice today to encourage you to find a way to give.
Conclusion
What is truly important is people. Imagine for a moment what this devastation means to the people on Helene’s path.
What truly matters may depend on the day you’re looking at it, but events like this give you take inventory of your life. It is a moment to imagine that your home, car, work, and community have all been wiped out.
I encourage you to appreciate what you have. Take time to figure out what is most important in your life. This will give you direction on how you should spend your time and effort. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, and we don’t necessarily live on a planet that lets us get too comfortable.
Now is the time to treasure and nurture your relationships and heal the broken relationships.