Sometimes things happen around us at the speed of light and we can feel totally out of control. This past weekend, I had to travel to Vegas for a business conference and a drive that normally would take us less than four hours took approximately nine hours because of a truck on the 15-freeway going north had an explosion causing the whole freeway to shut down.
We were at a loss because we had no idea what happened and how long the freeway was going to be closed. As we consulted with Waze, we were diverted to side streets and alternate routes that became extremely packed and moved what felt like a snail’s pace.
People were getting restless, and their lack of patience caused them to make moves that created accidents. This added additional time to us being on the road. It was painful. When we finally reached the conference, we found out the next day that the same trip took some of the attendees up to twenty hours to get there.
When the conference was over and we returned home, we experienced an earthquake. Of course, I am used to earthquakes because I was born and raised in Southern California my entire life, but it does not mean we welcome them each time they come.
A couple of weeks ago, I also shared how I experienced my first tornado when I went to Chicago to help my husband with some things regarding his home there. All these recent experiences made me stop and think about the necessity of being prepared for the unexpected.
The pandemic made most of us stop and take inventory of certain things such as keeping enough water, toilet paper, and canned goods on hand. We also started taking assessment whether we had flashlights, first aid kits, but most of us have not kept that mindset and practice in place.
There are several things we need to make sure are not only in stock but are also in their proper order for when any unexpected situation may arise. Remember, if you stay ready you will not have to get ready. Here are a few things that I highly recommend.
- Do you have a Trust or Will, and do you have them in a safe place that will be protected in case of fire or flood. Also, make sure your loved ones know where they are.
- Do you have your financials listed out so that you can have quick access to them if needed.
- Do you have your passwords in a place in case we lose internet access or if there is a breach and you cannot get on the computer to access them.
- Do you have a safety system set up for your family to follow in case of an emergency.
- Do you have enough water and food to last for up to a week in case things get shut down.
- Do you have a backup generator in case your electricity goes out.
- Do you have some cash on hand in both your home and car in case ATM machines are shut down.
- Women, do you have some flat comfortable shoes in your trunk in case you have to end up walking to get to safety.
- Get to know your neighbors and develop a buddy system.
- It is also a good idea to have something to protect yourself from those that may try to take advantage of you or the situation. Do you carry mace pepper spray? Do you know any form of self-defense?
There are so many things we could add to the list, but this is a great place to start. It is also good to stay tapped into your local authorities and if you have a neighborhood watch. There are also apps today such as Next Door, Ring, and more that can help you stay up to date and connected if something was to happen. Nothing beats preparation!
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Visit www.WendyGladney.com and www.forgivingforliving.org to learn more. Wendy is a life strategist, coach, consultant, author, and speaker.
