U2’s song “All that you can’t leave behind” is a timely message for the survivors of the recent hurricanes. Since the immediate crises of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita have passed, it is now possible to draw some lessons from this tragedy. These lessons could benefit both the survivors and those who watched the tragedy from afar.

Only Loved Ones Matter

I know from experience what it is like to lose everything. The lesson you quickly learn from this type of experience is what is important and what is not. Truly the only thing that matters is your loved ones, especially your children. Family. Friends. Partners. Pets. The ones you love and the ones who love you.

Nothing else matters.

Everything else can be replaced, even dear treasures and heirlooms. Your loved ones can not. Everything else you can leave behind. It is hard to grasp that you can let go of everything else, unless you have experienced something of this nature. Hopefully, you won’t ever have to leave everything else behind, but if you need to, you can.

Everything Else You Can Leave Behind.

It is not easy to leave everything behind. The good news is that once you understand this and fully let go of the non-essentials, you can build a more meaningful life. You can build a different life around the important things. After a tragedy, you will want to create a life based on what is really important--the ones you love. You will probably not want to waste your time with things that don’t really matter: the fluff on TV, celebrity gossip, chasing the latest fashions, and even running the rat race.

Build A Better Life

If you do let go, there will come a time when you do not want to go back to the way things 'used to be'. I know that desire to return to a pre-trauma life. I also know it is possible to build something better. If you are a survivor of one of those hurricanes, I wish you a speedy journey to that new destination, that new life.

Don't Learn This Lesson The Hard Way

If you only watched the terror from a distance, it is possible to begin now to create that better life. Don’t wait to learn this lesson the hard way. Take time to consider what is really important and what is not important. Get rid of the stuff you don't need. Keep the stuff that matters, which supports your family and your relationships with others. It is the best thing you can do.

Leave The TV Behind

The TV is the perfect place to start. Television eats up an average of four hours a day. Spend that time with your precious family and friends instead. Television also connects you to a mindless, consumer-oriented, faux society. It implores you to spend your money on junk food and cheap trinkets. This leads to more debt and work. Getting rid of the TV will also help enable you to escape the rat race.

The Rest Is Up To You

Beyond that the rest is up to you. There is no limit to the life that you could create around the ones you love. As long as you keep what is really important in your heart, you can create almost any life you choose.