On the evening of March 10th, 1888 many New Yorkers and New Englanders went to bed having recently enjoyed a streak of unseasonably mild winter weather. Shortly after Midnight on March 12, they were hit with one of the most severe blizzards in the history of the United States. In less than 2 days, snowfall ranging from 20-60 inches fell on parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 45 mile per hour winds and snowdrifts 40 feet and greater, forced people to stay indoors for over a week.
Buried under an unprecedented amount of snow, this unforeseen calamity must have felt overwhelming to those stuck inside their homes. It is quite likely that to many, when they learned of the magnitude of damage caused by the blizzard, it felt as though they were given a huge setback, perhaps one that could not be recovered from. Yet out of this tremendous challenge came an equally immense burst of ingenuity: the creation of the New York subway and its underground electrical system.
More often than we care to count, each of us has been hit by some kind of “unexpected blizzard,” or we have witnessed a loved one who has. When this occurs, it is natural for us to feel overwhelmed, shocked or even numb. Often these feelings can lead to a feeling of being trapped, shut in and pessimistic about any kind of healthy rebound.
However, what I have learned throughout the course of my life, is that within every life event there is a gift inside; a potential to be made better, stronger and wiser for having gone through a given experience. I recognize that finding these gifts can feel like trying to dig your way out of a seemingly unforgiving mountain of snow. A wisdom gained through having gone through my own share of intense adversity, is that the the magnitude of the trial is a message and reminder that we do not have to get through it on our own. In fact, more often than not, we are not meant to.
Many years ago, I chose to live my life seeking out the gifts and the lessons that are inherent within all of Life’s experiences. Naturally, it is often easier to detect the gifts being offered up by experiences that are overtly pleasant, but it can seem nearly impossible at times to find the constructive purpose and value that lie within the hard times. To do this, we often need tools, support and knowledge in order to uncover the presents that people, events and situations offer us-whether they intended to our not.
M’Power, Inc was born out of an intention to help people to become positively transformed by every kind of life event; the sweet as well as the sour. Times in life that cause pain, stress or frustration can be converted into ones that bring growth and richness to every life path. Times of great joy, peace and love can produce a kind of generosity that the world is in need of.
“All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art.” -Jorge Luis Borges
