Can We Refocus and Renew Our Lives in the Face of Great Loss?

Beginning this new year, I had a short list of ideas and topics to record for a new round of videos for my “Aha Moments with Joanie” series.

I had mentally prepared the first episode of 2025 around the subject of not letting small setbacks color your positive hopes and expectations for the new year.

As I was preparing to record the video, my world and many others in the greater Los Angeles region irrevocably changed.

News reports of incoming treacherous winds and impending blackouts, followed by what is being called the worst set of fires to sweep through Los Angeles in its history, put an abrupt halt on not only my plans but pretty much everyone else’s plans in this region.

Nothing Will Ever Be the Same

These catastrophic fires are more than just “small setbacks.” They have altered the landscape and forever changed the lives of millions of people. Nothing will ever be the same.

How do you find positive hopes and expectations for the new year and beyond, if everything you once called home is gone?

And for those of us who did not physically lose our homes and belongings, where do we begin to find a sense of inner peace and safety, and be of service to those who have lost everything?

A Community That’s Unrecognizable

For perspective, my home is in the foothills near Eaton Canyon, which like large portions of Altadena, are now scorched. When I bought this home, I was made aware of the potential fire hazards. In fact, over the years I have been evacuated twice, due to fires.

But for so many whose homes and neighborhoods are now gone, especially in the Pasadena and Altadena regions, what was once an idyllic community is unrecognizable.

My neighbors and I may have not been evacuated this time, but these fires have greatly affected me, emotionally, mentally, and physically. I am far from alone in this.

A Beautiful but Now Devastated Landscape

I am intimately familiar with Pasadena and Altadena as I grew up in these areas. Many people I grew up with, and their extended families, are among those whose homes and businesses were burned to the ground.

My mother was a gifted artist who used to coordinate her famous “paint outs” with local artists. They would gather outdoors to paint various spots around this region.

I have several of my mother’s beautiful landscape paintings on my walls, which she painted in Eaton Canyon. Now, more than ever, I find solace in these paintings.

Beyond the unimaginable grief this has stirred up within me, her paintings remind me daily of the once beautiful and picturesque visuals of nature that helped make areas like Pasadena and Altadena the ideal place to live, work, and raise a family.

Now, Eaton Canyon, like so many other devastated landscapes in this region, has lost its beauty.

What Can We Do Right Now?

Whether you are directly or indirectly impacted by these fires, the recurring questions many are asking themselves are:

• What can we do right now?
• How can we pick ourselves up in these moments of despair and refocus and renew our lives in the face of great loss?

During last week’s power outages, as I sat alone pondering the answer to these questions, I began to journal my feelings. Journaling has been my go-to self-care practice for most of my life. It is where I go to process my emotions, find inspiration and map out the path to my innermost desires.

Here is what I came up with over the last week to answer those aforementioned questions:

Gather Yourself Mentally and Emotionally

When you are in the midst of a crisis, you can’t effectively respond to an emergency when you don’t have your full presence and energy within you. Therefore, the first thing we can do is gather ourselves mentally and emotionally.

Embrace the Stillness

As was the case for so many who were evacuated, you often don’t have time to think about anything other than getting to safety. Soon, however, we all find ourselves in moments of stillness. This is often when we are overwhelmed with emotion. In the still moments, give yourself the space to process what has happened.

Journaling Your Truths

Use your journal to help you collect your thoughts and write down your feelings. These journal entries are between you and yourself. Share your truths about what has happened. Write down what steps you will take to refocus and renew your life to get through the upcoming events.

Gratitude for What Truly Matters

Remind yourself possessions are just things. Being alive and surrounded with love and support from the people in your life is what truly matters. Tapping into gratitude for what you have is a powerful lifeline to recovery and healing amid great loss.

Trust You Are Enough

When you look into your mirror, which can be a physical one as well as the mirror in your soul, remember you still have the most important thing – yourself. You are alive. Trust you are enough and have enough to get through any challenge that may arise in the future.

We Are Enough

Even in the face of great loss, we must always remind ourselves that we have enough and are enough to refocus and renew our lives, when and where it matters most.

Allow this moment, no matter how devastating it is, to be a catalyst for you to be more of who you truly are. For you came into this world to be yourself, for that you came.

Bless you.

Questions:

How did the LA fires affect you personally? In what ways have you dealt with the stress and pain? How are you spending the time of stillness?