Flying in from Belize to Los Angeles yesterday, I was immediately confronted with the devastating fires sweeping across the region. My house in Topanga Canyon was evacuated, so I was not able to go home. Last night, my community was right in the line of the fire. With strong Santa Ana dry winds of up to 50 to 60 miles per hour expected in the coming days, my emotions are going up and down with each change in wind direction.
My heart goes out to all those who have already lost so much. Ironically, I had just published my book The 9 Pillars of Resilience: The Proven Path to Master Stress, Slow Aging, and Increase Vitality, and now I find myself practicing resilience based on my nine pillars to navigate this experience effectively.
One of the crucial elements of resilience is allowing myself to experience all the feelings that arise in the face of this disaster. This is my pillar number six: emotional balance and mastery. In times of crisis, emotions can be overwhelming, and it is vital to acknowledge and process them without judgment.
It’s essential, as part of this process, to be compassionate towards myself, which is my pillar number one: “relationship with self.” Compassion and acceptance have a way of lubricating the process of experiencing, expressing, and then releasing emotions. Thus, I can process my feelings to maintain emotional equilibrium and prevent painful feelings from spiraling out of........