Sarah Birks’ Post

Resilience is the ability to turn every obstacle into an opportunity. 💪 Just like a home can be rebuilt stronger after damage, you can emerge more powerful from life's challenges. At Home-Ready Restoration, we don’t just restore homes; we rebuild confidence and security. So, no matter what life throws at you, remember that resilience leads to growth. Let's tackle this week with renewed strength and determination! #MondayMotivation #Resilience

Imagine waking up to the sound of waves crashing gently on the shore, the sun shining bright overhead, and the promise of another beautiful day. ☀️ Welcome to Southwest Florida, where every day feels like a vacation. Whether you're a local or someone looking to relocate, the weather here is a dream come true. Here's why: 1️⃣ Sunny Days Galore: With over 300 sunny days a year, say goodbye to gloomy weather and hello to endless sunshine. 2️⃣ Temperate Winters: Leave the snow shovels behind! Winters in Southwest Florida are mild, making it a perfect place to escape the cold. 3️⃣ Outdoor Lifestyle: The weather is ideal for activities like beach days, boating, and golf. It's easier to stay active and enjoy nature when it’s sunny and warm. 4️⃣ Community and Culture: The weather brings people together. Enjoy outdoor festivals, farmers markets, and community events year-round. Living and working in a place where the weather is consistently great has a positive impact on your well-being and lifestyle. 😎 Thinking about making the move or buying a second home? Let’s connect and explore your options in this sunny paradise! What do you love most about sunny days and sandy beaches? Share your thoughts!

When it's nearly 80 degrees Fahrenheit in late October in Brooklyn, I find myself carrying a mixed bag of emotions. In isolation, this type of weather is Peak NYC™️—an absolute gift to weary, cooped-up city dwellers who utilize the great outdoors as their living rooms. But in the context of the #climatecrisis, on the heels of the hottest summer on record, this summer air in early fall (cc: Bo Burnham) stirs up the following: 🤘 rage at #fossilfuel companies and government officials for so brazenly ignoring unanimous scientific alarms 😔 grief for the plants, animals, insects, humans—all persons in their own right—that are impacted or killed off because of #climatechange 😑 frustration that I can't fully enjoy what was my favorite season, autumn, as it starts later and becomes shorter 😰 exhaustion about the entrenched impacts of white western #colonialism and #extractivecapitalism that deems entire populations and cultures as collateral damage in the pursuit of profit 🙄 annoyance at (perceived!) apathy of my peers, combined with shame / #egotism for my "judging" them in the first place 😊 enjoyment, of course, of this technically lovely weather It feels dizzying, but I know I'm not alone in navigating these emotions. As I've learned facilitating #ClimateCafes, and as countless studies show, *most* people are gravely concerned about the #ecological crisis. My advice when confronting these feelings? 🌱 Get outside—communing with the natural world (of which we are a part) is a reminder of the sheer of luck of even being here🪄, a show of #reverence for the ecosystems around us, and a way to #decenter the self. 🗣️ Talk to people about it—instead of just the “wow, crazy weather!!!” smalltalk, name a feeling to go with it. “Beautiful weather we’re having—but it makes me feel sad!" This crisis, to me, is rooted in our #detachment from this earth, so the more we can experience it and talk about it, the more we can see how its changing, how we impact it, and how to better live in harmony. It’s not a buzzkill to bring up in conversation, it’s just our reality. So go outside, get in #community, and accept that we're in this together. We're all we have! 🤗 #climateanxiety #climategrief #peaceonearth #climateemotions #climatecafenyc #thatfunnyfeeling #brooklynbotanicgarden #climateactionow #climateaction #mentalhealthawareness

It was one of those days long ago that you remember as though it were yesterday. I’d done something in the French Alps and was coming back down to Chamonix. Three guys stopped me and asked, “What are conditions like?” “It’s been a heatwave for ages. Great for rock routes. Terrible for snow and ice ones.” They pulled faces. Evidently this wasn’t what they wanted to hear. “We’ve only got a week’s holiday – and we really want to do the Whymper Couloir.” (Snow and ice.) I looked at them again. Three. Often a bad number. If you don’t watch it, three can take twice as long as two – and in the mountains, speed is your best friend. “It won’t be in condition.” They looked at each other, started muttering. I thought, this isn’t one I’m going to win. “See you around.” (Or maybe not?) The first beer in the Bar Nash went down nicely. Then someone came in. “Have you heard – a French guy’s just got killed in the Whymper Couloir?” What a waste. A sad, avoidable waste. That French guy could have been dangling grandkids on his knee now. The sunk cost fallacy is unbelievably tempting. “We’ve put so much time/effort/money into this project. We can’t possibly cut our losses now.” Well guess what – is it better to lose 40%, 50%, 60%... or 100%? In mountaineering, you can get to lose your life. And the daft thing with the winsome threesome is that their sunk cost was almost certainly purely psychological. They’d probably spent all winter poring over guidebooks and eventually decided on the Whymper Couloir. But they still had a week in Chamonix - with brilliant weather for rock routes. Often, with the sunk cost fallacy, there’s a viable alternative – but we just don’t want to see it. And the sunk cost fallacy seems so obvious that we’re convinced we’ll never fall for it. But we do. That’s its deadliness. Always be prepared to walk away. If need be: Just. Walk. Away. #Business #Mountaineering #Risk #SunkCost

We are approaching Winter Solstice - the longest night & shortest day of the year on December 21❄️ Have you noticed a shift in your energy levels? Winter Solstice is a powerful reminder of the beauty in stillness and the wisdom in cycles. Stillness is a learned practice - not a default that comes natural. The more we practice, it becomes something we choose in the middle of the chaos. While society glorifies “the hustle/grind”, the solstice teaches us the value of slowing down as we ease into a new season. It’s an invitation to embrace the darkness, not as something to fear, but as a time for rest, reflection, and planting the seeds of growth. After the solstice, the days start getting longer. It is a reminder that even in the toughest seasons, brighter days are ahead. Are you taking time to appreciate how far you’ve come this year, or are you focusing on what you feel you didn’t accomplish? I encourage you to let go of what’s not working and dream/plan for what comes next. My focus areas this season are: getting outside to get fresh air, walking 10k steps/day, connecting with colleagues/family/friends, saying no, seeing the sunset when I can, slowing down, being present, journaling, & planning for 2025. What about you? How are you embracing this season of rest and renewal? Photo location: 📍Atlantic City, NJ #wintersolstice #energymanagement #selfcare #newseason

To begin with this week, I slept in a deep forest. Why do I post this in a professional network: Because this is very much related to the way we do business. If we want to design our common future it is necessary to understand how we got where we are. For 99% of our time as homo sapiens on planet earth we were living in nature and in line with nature. Our survival was depending on our capacity to predict any potential danger like thunderstorms, storms, cold periods or for example floods. Only 1% of our time we are living in buildings and of that time less than 1% we do business like we do it now. Unfortunately, we feel and are performing a business that is often separated from nature and as such from our nature as human beings. We even do the opposite: We use natures capital for our products and do not even account for this. This has consequences: We have to live with an unsecure world where nature related crises are challenging our business harder year by year. If we want to "escape" this circle we need to do not only less harm to nature but act like nature. To sleep in a forest makes you listen to nature. You wonder how a deer barks and how darkness deepens your listening skills. You reconnect to where we are all coming from and maybe - at least this is what I thought of in that night - you ask yourself how a business world would look like when it would be designed by nature. Short disclaimer: It is forbidden to sleep in any forest in Germany. If you plan this, you need to ask the owner and get a permission...and of course no fire or any disruption 😉 A big thanks to Benjamin F. for inspiring me and for sharing this unique experience with me. #designbynature #ourbusiness #tourythm

Embracing every change, just like the seasons. Whether business or weather, preparation is key in the Upper Midwest as winter approaches. #masonrystrong Read the article here ➡️ https://loom.ly/1tv32bk

When flowers bloom, bees buzz, and the weather becomes a bit warmer, you know spring is upon us! While spring is a time to get outdoors and enjoy the mild climate, it is also a popular time to start refreshing and cleaning your home. Seniors might need a helping hand with this, so start with these spring cleaning tasks to help your senior loved one keep their home in good working order! 🐝🌸☀️🧼 Keeping your senior’s home in good shape doesn’t have to be burdensome. We’re here to help take daily tasks off your mind so you can focus on big projects, and spend valuable time together! #visitingangels #springcleaning

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮? Imagine waking up one day full of wonderful plans. Talking to others about consistency, giving everyone tips on life - and then, the winds change. A storm brews - unpredictable, wild and all - encompassing One moment, the skies are calm. The next, a torrential downpour sweeps everything in its path. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 - 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐧𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭. No matter how much you prepare, you are always at the mercy of the unexpected. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐝-𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬. You spend so much time seeking consistency, trying to maintain control, believing that steady routines will shield you from life’s chaos. 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭. You often hear that those unexpected moments, the disruptions, shape you the most. And they do. 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐲𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞. Thank you to those who have reached out, for your DM’s and kind words.🙏 For noticing my absence these past days. For wondering if I was ok, or why I wasn’t commenting. The Algarve, a region where I have a home, was hit by the storm Dana - cities flooded. In the urbanization/condo neighbors and friends had their entire homes flooded, fields completely submerged. Family members, with stores under water. We were many volunteers in their homes, doing what we could to save whatever we could. The spirit of a community is incredible in those unimaginable moments. 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞. It will test your resilience, your strength and your will to keep moving forward. Just keep moving on. Take another path if needed - or another boat, in this case. 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐬. P.S - I was one of the fortunate ones. No serious damage. #Nature #Storm #Community #Global ©️Sofia Ançã

Two weekends ago, I celebrated my 5th anniversary living in California. The orange sky of that weekend and unseasonably cool summer Friday eve and random isolated rainbow, reminded me of my early days living here, when the orange sky back then was due to wildfires. That orange sky a few years ago made national news and prompted East Coast friends to ask me to seriously consider moving back, as the odd sky was not the only CA "adventure" I had experienced. CA friends who have lived here for a while, completely freaked me out telling me that the unseasonably cool weather bout signals "earthquake weather." Since the anniversary weekend, I had been thinking a lot about preparedness. Then an earthquake rocked Los Angeles earlier this week! Depending on the news source one consults, the quake was 4.5, 5.5 or 7.5., and the rumbling in southern CA has continued. For me, it served as a stark reminder of the importance of preparedness and crisis communications. As we navigate the unpredictability of weather (and manmade) disasters, it's crucial to have a plan in place to ensure continuity in both personal and professional spheres. I wonder how many of us unconsciously or consciously believe major disruption will not affect us? We former members of The Weather Channel marketing team may remember featuring downloadable preparedness checklists and hosting preparedness workshops featuring our celebrity meteorologists at retail home improvement stores. In those days, we admonished consumers to maintain important papers and prescriptions in waterproof document holders. In the face of climate change, and general disruption around the world, maintaining current copies of important documents and utilizing cloud solutions for secure storage have become essential practices. With uncertainty ever-present, proactive preparedness planning seems to be best way to mitigate loss and navigate the chaos scientists predict will happen if our large cities experience "a big one." What plans do you have for the part of the world where you reside? #CaliforniaLiving #EarthquakePreparedness #CrisisCommunications #ProactivePlanning