Blown Away

If you've been reading my Thinking 2 Steps Ahead blog you'll see a blog entry in March called PROFOUND IMPACT.

Today, May 4, is the 9th anniversary of the tornado that destroyed my home, home based business and blew away everything Randy and I owned.

To say that the tornado had a Profound Impact on our lives is an understatement.

We learned to be grateful for everything and everyone, that our treasures are not stored on earth, and that learning to receive is a powerful and valuable lesson. My husband tells how just how profound that lesson was when he relates the story that another friend pointed out that receiving, without expectation of anything in return, is all Christ asks of us when He offers the gift of salvation. We truly bless people when we graciously accept a gift they want to give, whether it is something they buy, they make, or an offer of their help or time.

We all have things in our lives that make a Profound Impact and shape the way we are. Some are good, and some are not. Those incidents of Profound Impact that have a negative effect on our lives are often the issues that our clients are dealing with.

Identify the Profound Impacts and you'll know how to move forward. The good ones should be celebrated and reinforced, the bad ones examined and turned into a positive learning experience...and moved past.

When I look back on the whole experience of living through and recovering from a Cat 4 tornado, I am "blown away" by the joy and profoundly positive impact of that ordeal. I certainly don't want to go through it again, but it's made my life better in every way.