There is one certainty that each of us should look to when building Brain Power and using Mind Over Matter to solve our problems. We should look to those less fortunate. People just like you and me. People that find themselves in circumstances they never conceived would happen to them. People that never thought they would need to steel themselves against adversity to the level that some are forced to endure.

The immensity of the human spirit is immeasurable in the worst of times. Look to these people as a point of reference for overcoming adversity – a guiding light. Their lessons can be your guide.

In the wake of the Victoria Fires, it gave me the opportunity to look deep – to appreciate who and what I have around me. No matter what I may be dealing with at any given time, can compare to what others may be going through.

People that have taken the opportunity in their lives to develop their mental strength and abilities are also taking steps to prepare themselves against the hard times. Everyone has them, but when you have developed device to see yourself through to the other side of the hurdles, it makes the preparation very worthwhile.

Recently, someone suggested that I do some writing about the fires, the death, anguish, and heroism emerging like the rising phoenix when the fires hit Victoria Australia. I attempted to look at this as a topic of my writing, but I write from my heart and the truth. Since I had not been directly affected by the fires, I decided not to write about others experiences. I will leave that to the media. What I have decided to write about is my observations, and how I have used this opportunity to count my blessings.

Setting the Stage

Since my readers are International, I need to tell you a little about what was – before the fires. We had had a cool, lower than normal temperature, summer up to this point. Suddenly, we were having the highest ever recorded temperatures and southbound winds. This set up an extreme fire danger condition. For many years the residents of Victoria bushland had been worried of the buildup of native scrub compiling and creating an explosive fire danger.

Politics Deemed Just as Guilty

Politics had prevented the clearing of this debris in the winter months, as it had been in previously. About 10-15 years ago, through political pressure from ‘green’ groups, back-burning and clearing had all about ceased to reduce fuel buildup. Clearing of the deadwood had been reduced to only 2-3% of all the forest areas that used to be available to gather wood from. Cattle and sheep that had grazed and automatically cleared many of these areas were banned from these areas. Owners were not even allowed to clear the fuel from their own property for fear of heavy fines, even imprisonment.

The entire area had become a time bomb – primed and ready to explode. The resulting conflagration led to losses of such magnitude never before seen in Australia. When fire travels 3 KM per minute, huge fireballs prevail before a wall of fire 120 feet or more into the sky, it is overwhelmingly apparent that nothing much is going to stand against it. It sounds like a freight train coming your way, much like the sound of a tornado. The only word that does not even come close to describing the effect – HORRIFIC!

Lessons Learned Elsewhere as Example

I used to live in America. In the area that I am from there is a technique that is taught in fire prone areas called “Stewardship”. Stewardship is a way of dealing with the natural fire dangers in a way that benefits everyone. The conservationists decided long ago that it was better to clear the debris and scrub than to keep putting so many people at risk, even reducing the amount of trees on a property to reduce the overall fire danger. It’s not a perfect solution. But it is a solution that both sides could live with.

People love nature and want to live amongst it. But, sometimes those people in their obsession to live amongst the trees, overlook the obvious hazards. Most of the people that were killed in the fires never gave it a second thought that they may be victims of their own passion.

A Change in Attitude

The fires came through, and things have changed considerably – literally overnight. People that have never been exposed to the raw carnage that followed are having to deal with situations that usually only trained professionals must deal with. Innocence is shattered and can never be returned. The shock of what has happened hasn’t even had time to set in for most of them.

The human spirit is resilient. Most of these people have been traumatized and need counseling. Even the Firefighters that have had many years of experience have never had this type of exposure. As they are driving by certain homes, they know of how people perished there. The whole landscape is some areas looks, feel, and smells like a war zone.

My heart goes out to these people. I have offered my assistance to those that are interested.

I Count My Blessings

I am very blessed that I have not been around the fires. I am located quite a long way from where the loss of life is high. But, we still get the reports on the radio and TV. There were fires around my area, but the loss of life was not high. Only about 80-100 homes destroyed. A recent report had over 1800 homes had gone up in flames, and over 7000 people displaced, hundreds of thousands of acres burned, and the expected dead to be over 300.

Seeing the pictures of the re-united families, and some that will never be re-united, gives me the opportunity to be thankful for the people I hold dear. They are beside me and with me. I don’t have the added stress of looking after property, livestock or pets that have been scalded or dying. I never even lost power through this. I count myself as being so blessed. The potential remains that the fires could erupt again in my area. But, I am grateful that I have the opportunity to observe heartbreak from a distance.

Even though I can feel for them, there is no way that I can feel the same as what they feel. It is their experience. It is an experience I would not want to walk in. They will carry the scars with them forever. It has changed their physical landscape as well as their emotional landscape. They will be forever changed.

Time Heals Many Wounds

Time will heal many of the wounds, but people won’t forget. Many of them will never forgive the people responsible – from government bureaucracy and self-serving politicians that encouraged the tinder to build up into a time-bomb, to the arsonists that lit the deadliest of the fires. The arsonists have committed mass murder to the level of terrorism.

Finally, there is solid discussion and inevitable action taking place in the government to provide substantial firebreaks, back-burning and clearing of debris and fuel statewide and beyond. It appears that the people are choosing to ignore political groups that have brought them to this precipice of decision.

The Aussie Spirit Survives

No matter how bad you think your problems are, there is always someone worse off than you. Following the shell-shock of the results of the fires, within 1 week of the fires erupting, huge efforts were mounted to pull off charity functions of every sort imaginable. At date, the Red Cross has already exceeded $100 Million in donations.

Help is coming in from the International community as well. Even the Queen of England is Donating personally to the injured. It is just amazing to see where all the outpourings are coming from! Condolences have even come from enemy states.

Reaction of the People and Government

The government has not put a cap on the expenditures to get these people back on their feet. Holden/GM has donated new cars for a year for those affected. The outpourings from the populace is absolutely incredible. It may actually be the trigger that gives our economy the needed stimulus to get things revved up again.

People, no matter how they are hurting from their own situations are digging deep to help in every way imaginable. It expresses the strength Australia possesses in its people. It is a credit to all. Even though I wasn’t directly affected, through observation I have been profoundly affected!

To the Aussie Spirit – Good On Ya’!

Shannon Panzo

PS: “If life was always a positive experience, we would not have anything to compare to. Therefore, we would not learn to appreciate it.”