No Place Like Home for the Hurricane

Sandy is Approaching

A Precautionary Farewell

Ready or not here comes Hurricane Sandy!

My parents have insisted that I stay at home with them as Sandy is approaching. I do have some work to do and it will be nice to be in the comfort of my own home during the storm although a huge part of me wishes I were on campus. I am sure everyone is appreciating our class cancellations and enjoying the time off in a very traditional college way- drinking, hanging out with friends, eating, and have fun- but I suppose there are much worse places to be than home with my parents. With the expectation that I will be losing power some time in the near future and will be unable to post I wanted to provide you all with a precautionary farewell. But do not fear I will be returning as soon as the storm passes and the electric companies get around to enabling every one's power again. I, for one, am not afraid about the coming hurricane however I know many people do get nervous when expecting bad weather. With this thought in mind I would like to present us with an affirmation to help us bolster or confidence, instill us with strength, and enable us to conquer our fears.

I am strong enough to overcome any fear in my life.

We all have fears-

Your fears may be rational or irrational. They may be overpowering or very dim. You may face them every day of your life or only once in a while. But no matter what your fear is- Hurricane Sandy, spiders, gaining weight, death, child birth, another person, a specific food- you are strong enough to look it in the face and say "Screw you!" "I can face you and beat you!" "You do not control me." We are strong individuals and expressing our fears is not a sign of weakness or disability. Everyone on this earth is afraid of something whether they admit it or not. The weak are those that bow down to their fears and allow them to impact the way they live their lives. But we are the strong people who know that admitting our fears does not make us weak. We are the empowered individuals who are willing to recognize our fears and stand up to them. We can be afraid but we can be strong and not allow any fears to interfere in our lives. Stand up to the bully at your school. Eat a food that makes you uncomfortable. Squash a spider with you bare hand.

Do yourself a favor and stay inside !

Prepare yourself and your house for the coming storm and stand strong. It's ok if you cover your ears during the thunder and shut your eyes when lightning strikes but don't mistake your fear for weakness. Our fears are warranted no matter what anyone may tell you. Fear is a personal feeling that you are entitled to have and feel. We all feel differently, we all fear differently, and therefore although our feelings may be different it does not make them wrong. Do not let anyone minimize your feelings or your fears. We may be afraid but we can and will stand up in the face of our fears, no matter what they are, and reaffirm that we are strong, capable individuals who can conquer our fears and so much more. Please stay safe if your area is being hit by the storm. I am encouraging you to face your fears but don't be stupid- stay inside! (This is not the time to go dancing in the rain!)

Farewell for now friends,

xo