Over the last week, after the awe of the eclipse Texas has experienced the trauma of Hurricane Harvey.

Many of our friends and family have been really impacted but all are safe, what a gift!

It has been inspiring to watch the rescue efforts and to watch people gearing up to help for the very long next phase of rebuilding.

Just like in the recently released movie Dunkirk, a historical account of how everyday people stepped in to rescue with their own boats, we are seeing ordinary people going door to door rescuing Texans using their own small boats. Official first responders just cannot get to everyone.

Amazing.

There are some “side effects” from this storm that we are benefiting from here in Texas.

People are working together and not caring about skin color, race, political affiliations, rich or poor. They are simply neighbors caring for each other in a situation that has leveled the playing field!

I hope that many of these experiences will have a lasting impact on people. I hope that many of these kind encounters will help paint ointment on the rawness both from this trauma and from the Virginia riot and tragedy. Sometimes the impact is short lived but I think for some there will be a life-long change. That’s what I want us to focus on.

Imagine John got his own boat, got in to the water on the streets of Houston, went door to door looking for people that needed rescuing and actually found a family to help.

John got them out of the house safely, took them to dry land and ended their panic, their isolation. He ended the possibility that they could deteriorate in to critical condition or, worst of all, could die if not rescued.

The impact John had is immense. It is heroic. It is life-changing and life-saving work. John showed up in a way that really mattered.

He can honestly now look at himself differently. Whatever ways he may have criticized himself before, he now can completely alter how he sees himself after doing this rescue.

We all long to make an impact. This is not about being a people-pleaser. This is about shared humanity and a healthy desire for our life to count and for our actions to make a difference in someone else’s life.

You may not have a chance to be this kind of hero. However, we all have opportunities, everyday to have impact. To show up in ways that change someone else’s day or their life, perspective, mood, etc. There is evidence that simply connecting with another human being through smiling with them can alter their mood to a degree. Click the image here for an article from Penn State "Is Smiling Contagious?"

One of the best things we can do to be ready to be a daily hero to others is to care for our own needs so that our tank is full and we have joy and happiness to share.

What can you do each morning to remind yourself how you want to show up for the people around you?

Is it time to add something more meaningful to your life where you can make more of an impact more frequently?

Is there someone who helps make your life better, even in small ways, that you can thank?

Until next time,

Gratefully,

Marilyn