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Big Resets


1994 Northridge earthquake took out major infrastructure.
1994 Northridge earthquake took out major infrastructure.

Life has a funny way of reminding us that restarting isn't just for computers. Seeing all these people hitting their personal reset buttons due to the devastating fires in Los Angeles brings back memories of other reboots. From my own story of losing everything, going bankrupt and starting over to what's happening in L.A., it's all about how you move forward that's important.


In 1993, the Laguna Fire burned almost 17,000 acres and destroyed 286 homes, resulting in more than $528 million in property damage. It too was spread due to the strong Santa Ana winds. In the years following, the city invested in wildfire mitigation measures. They found the most effective way to reduce underbrush was to use herds of goats. Of course, this being California, they ran up against the environmental lobby's concern about destroying habitat; ironic given that fire destroys the same habitat they're worried about.


The '94 Northridge earthquake showed up like an uninvited houseguest, shaking everything up during Mayor Richard Riordan's first term. This 6.7 magnitude troublemaker caused about $20-25 billion in damage, turning freeways into modern art installations and giving buildings unexpected makeovers.


But Riordan, being a competent and qualified business guy, knew how to hustle. He played nice with Governor Pete Wilson and the feds, motivated contractors to rebuild faster with some clever carrot-and-stick incentives, and got the I-10 freeway back in business in just 66 days. He set up an Emergency Operations Center that made different city departments actually talk to each other (miracle, right?), and helped homeowners navigate the maze of FEMA assistance.


Here's the thing about life: Something will always pop up to shake things up, but it's how we deal with these surprises that shapes who we become. Every setback is just an opportunity for a comeback – even if the comeback takes a different route than we planned.

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Jan 23
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

so true

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