By DR. MARK KESTNER
Posted: Sunday, July 6, 2008 8:31 am

We live in a relatively safe part of the world. Here in Middle Tennessee we don’t have to worry about too many natural disasters. We watch unfortunate people on the news being flooded out of their homes, seeing their entire community engulfed in fire or hurrying to evacuate to escape hurricanes. In other parts of the world famine, civil war or widespread epidemics have taken the lives of millions. Although we have encountered the wrath of sporadic tornadoes, compared to parts of the Midwest we have been lucky. Most of us have been untouched by the devastation left in the wake of the deadly extremes of climate and weather.

Perhaps we have been too fortunate. We may have been so comfortable for so long that we no longer have the consciousness that a disaster could befall us at any time.

Major natural disasters are not the topic of this column, however. Although it is remotely possible that we all could suffer from some sort of major natural disaster, it is far more likely that you will experience a disaster of a more personal nature. An unexpected illness, financial reversal, relationship crisis or other situation could appear overnight.

Cancer and other illnesses can be devastating and oftentimes appear from nowhere. Drunk drivers take the lives of innocent mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters daily.
Today’s business climate is creating unemployed workers constantly. The job you have held for 20 years may be transferred overseas tomorrow. An unexpected illness or injury could prevent you from returning to work for months.

How close are you to a personal disaster? Do you have cash reserves that are sufficient to pay your bills and maintain your lifestyle if you are unable to continue your paycheck for six months? Six weeks? Six days? Do you have adequate health insurance to provide for care for you or a family member if a serious illness occurs? Are you taking care of your health in such a way to reduce your chances of accident or illness?

This column could easily have been titled, “What are you pretending not to know?” Many of us are living as if nothing will ever go wrong. We only have to look around at our friends and neighbors to realize that, for most people, something usually will go wrong at some time in our lives.

If you have children, this topic is even more appropriate. I had lunch with an insurance professional last week. Our conversation had turned to insurance rates for teenagers. He stated that the actuarial statistics indicate that seven out of 10 teen drivers will have an accident before they reach the age of 18. That’s 70 percent! Unfortunately, that means that statistically, your son or daughter is likely to have an accident while living at home.

Major illnesses are often unexpected. An illness affects more than just the patient. Their husband or wife often loses time at work while caring for their spouse. Children experience emotional stress as they struggle to adjust to the illness. Financial costs can escalate quickly.

Regular readers know this column is usually focused on being positive and suggesting possible solutions to problems or ways to avoid them. This particular edition probably doesn’t seem too upbeat. Listing all the possible things that could go wrong in life tends to be depressing.

Here is the positive aspect: If you have averted disaster in your life so far, the odds are in your favor. By choosing to be proactive, you can improve your likelihood of avoiding a personal or financial turnaround. If you plan well, you will probably live well throughout the balance of your years.

In the coming weeks, I will have suggestions from experts on how to prevent personal disasters from striking and how to overcome them if they do.

In the meantime, if your family has been spared from illness, financial catastrophe, strained or broken relationship, job loss and other disabling events, say a silent prayer of thanks. If you know others who have not been so fortunate, find a way to provide assistance or encouragement to help see them through the difficult times.



Dr. Mark Kestner
mkestner@DrKestner.com