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Ep. 30: The L.A. Fires: Critical Tips for What You Can Do (and What You Can Avoid Doing)
On January 7, 2025, several fires broke out in the Los Angeles, California area that ripped through neighborhoods, destroying thousands of homes, businesses, and other structures, displacing people and animals, and taking the lives of some. Two of these fires have been the third and fourth most destructive fires in California history.
And a week later, they are still burning, with the possibility of increasingly strong Santa Ana winds destroying the progress that exhausted firefighters have made.
In the face of horrific tragedy, people often look for hope. Given that I started a 2-part series last week on how to give up hope (with the intention of posting part 2 of that series today) I wanted to add a new footnote to that series today to talk about:
🗝 [09:17] 3 things not to say or do for victims of the fires
🗝️ [16:20] 6 concrete things we can do;
🗝️ [27:49] a Metta or Loving-Kindness practice; and
🗝️ [31:52] something stronger than hope
And these tips don’t just apply for supporting people through the L.A. fires . . . they apply any time we see someone suffering in the face of unimaginable loss or heartbreak.
As Gen X’ers, we can learn to harness the grit, determination, and camaraderie that we were raised with to support others . . . and ourselves . . . through devastating tragedies. Our constant growth edge is to learn to do so without pushing toxic positivity or unsolicited advice on others, trying to “fix, manage, or control” their experiences, and taking action in ways that we don’t burn ourselves out.
This week’s episode gives insights on how we can do all of that . . .
as well as how we can find something stronger than hope to help others and us move through these tragedies . . . .
⭐️ Please go to the episode show notes for a list of resources to help the victims of the LA fires.
Episode website
Watch on YouTube
💥CONNECT WITH MICHELE
Website
YouTube
Medium
Insight Timer Guided Meditations
Email: [email protected]
#thegenxshiftpodcast #thegenxshift #lifefromthesummit
Stay Gold, Gen X’ers . . . .
TIMESTAMPS
[00:00] Intro and Background on Los Angeles Fires
[09:17] 3 Things Not to Say or Do for Victims of the Fires
[09:57] No. 1: No Schadenfreude
[11:11] No. 2: Don't say "wildfires are just part of nature"
[13:02] No. 3: Don't force positivity
[16:20] 6 Concrete things we can do
[16:34] No. 1: Give people space for their grief
[19:00] No. 2: Acknowledge you don't know what to say
[19:45] No. 3: Ask if know what they need in this moment
[20:40] No. 4: Take a specific action
[24:02] No. 5: Ask 4 questions before sharing advice
[25:52] No. 6: Donate or Volunteer when/where you're resourced
[27:49] Bonus: Practice Metta or Loving-Kindness
[31:52] Something stronger than hope
💙 SUPPORT THE PODCAST
The Gen X Shift is a Life From The Summit podcast. Join the Life From The Summit weekly emails to support your Gen X Shift! If you resonate with this episode, please remember to take a few seconds to leave a rating and review, and share the podcast with other Gen X’ers.
Also, the Gen X Shift is a one-woman show right now! So, your support goes a long way to helping Michele with the tech, equipment, and resources needed to produce this podcast. Please consider donating.
View all episodes
By Michele L. Walter
5
99 ratings
On January 7, 2025, several fires broke out in the Los Angeles, California area that ripped through neighborhoods, destroying thousands of homes, businesses, and other structures, displacing people and animals, and taking the lives of some. Two of these fires have been the third and fourth most destructive fires in California history.
And a week later, they are still burning, with the possibility of increasingly strong Santa Ana winds destroying the progress that exhausted firefighters have made.
In the face of horrific tragedy, people often look for hope. Given that I started a 2-part series last week on how to give up hope (with the intention of posting part 2 of that series today) I wanted to add a new footnote to that series today to talk about:
🗝 [09:17] 3 things not to say or do for victims of the fires
🗝️ [16:20] 6 concrete things we can do;
🗝️ [27:49] a Metta or Loving-Kindness practice; and
🗝️ [31:52] something stronger than hope
And these tips don’t just apply for supporting people through the L.A. fires . . . they apply any time we see someone suffering in the face of unimaginable loss or heartbreak.
As Gen X’ers, we can learn to harness the grit, determination, and camaraderie that we were raised with to support others . . . and ourselves . . . through devastating tragedies. Our constant growth edge is to learn to do so without pushing toxic positivity or unsolicited advice on others, trying to “fix, manage, or control” their experiences, and taking action in ways that we don’t burn ourselves out.
This week’s episode gives insights on how we can do all of that . . .
as well as how we can find something stronger than hope to help others and us move through these tragedies . . . .
⭐️ Please go to the episode show notes for a list of resources to help the victims of the LA fires.
Episode website
Watch on YouTube
💥CONNECT WITH MICHELE
Website
YouTube
Medium
Insight Timer Guided Meditations
Email: [email protected]
#thegenxshiftpodcast #thegenxshift #lifefromthesummit
Stay Gold, Gen X’ers . . . .
TIMESTAMPS
[00:00] Intro and Background on Los Angeles Fires
[09:17] 3 Things Not to Say or Do for Victims of the Fires
[09:57] No. 1: No Schadenfreude
[11:11] No. 2: Don't say "wildfires are just part of nature"
[13:02] No. 3: Don't force positivity
[16:20] 6 Concrete things we can do
[16:34] No. 1: Give people space for their grief
[19:00] No. 2: Acknowledge you don't know what to say
[19:45] No. 3: Ask if know what they need in this moment
[20:40] No. 4: Take a specific action
[24:02] No. 5: Ask 4 questions before sharing advice
[25:52] No. 6: Donate or Volunteer when/where you're resourced
[27:49] Bonus: Practice Metta or Loving-Kindness
[31:52] Something stronger than hope
💙 SUPPORT THE PODCAST
The Gen X Shift is a Life From The Summit podcast. Join the Life From The Summit weekly emails to support your Gen X Shift! If you resonate with this episode, please remember to take a few seconds to leave a rating and review, and share the podcast with other Gen X’ers.
Also, the Gen X Shift is a one-woman show right now! So, your support goes a long way to helping Michele with the tech, equipment, and resources needed to produce this podcast. Please consider donating.