Tai Po Fire: Vicarious Trauma First Aid Kit – From Powerless to Powerful

It’s been a heavy week for Hong Kong.

The Tai Po fire tragedy has plunged us into a stew of emotions: sadness, confusion, anger, fear, overwhelm, and deep grief—all tangled together.

Feeling all of this is painful, yet every emotion carries an important message. As I always say, emotions are action signals.

Sadness tells us something precious has been lost.

Anger tells us a boundary or value has been violated.

Fear tells us we need safety.

If we can pause—just one deep breath in, then a long, slow exhale—we give ourselves permission to receive the message and let the intensity soften.

Bring your attention back to the present moment and to your body. Feel your feet on the ground. This simple act anchors you, steadies you, and creates space for the next right step.

Clarity is not elsewhere; it’s always within you.

While we continue giving our time, effort, money, and love to those who need it most, we must also protect our own hearts and health. Only then can we keep showing up for the long journey ahead.

Rebuilding homes, rebuilding hope, and rebuilding lives will take time.

May this tragedy gently remind us: the way forward always begins with caring for the two most important things—ourselves and one another.

This episode — Tai Po Fire: Vicarious Trauma First Aid Kit – From Powerless to Powerful — is a small 15-minute gift of practical steps we can take together.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7LUaKZQ2jTVKOGt5y1xgCg?si=87ny-bBlSS6gGHgwssSQnw

Taking good care of ourselves is the foundation that lets us keep showing up for others.

Hong Kong, we’ve got this.