Some of us may be facing a serious problem right now. The help we need is available to us. The secret is that we have to ask for it. That might be the scariest or hardest thing we have ever done, but it also may be the most important thing we can do.

It is a sad fact that humans hurt each other, sometimes in shocking and heartbreaking ways. Those of us who have been hurt may find it difficult to trust others or speak about what has happened to us. It is also true that humans respond to the need of others. When a child doesn’t come home from school, or a family is lost in a snowstorm, entire communities turn out to help search for the lost people. Every news story about a starving family results in outpourings of food and money and support.

If you do not feel safe in your home or where you are right now, or if you suspect you are ill, or you do not have the food or clothing or shelter you need today, those are the needs you must pay attention to before anything else. Do the following affirmation and practice immediately.
Affirmation
The change I need in my life happens now.

Practice: Emergency help
Close your eyes and say to yourself, “I deserve to be safe. I ask for help and help comes.”

Immediately seek help. If you are not safe, if you are being abused or threatened, or you need a place to stay tonight, here are some options:

• Call 911. The dispatcher can refer you to emergency services. You deserve help.
• Call a church. Keep calling churches until you find one that will answer your call. Clergy can also refer you to emergency services.
• Look for emergency services. Look through the blue pages in the phone book or do a web search for emergency services in your town. The YWCA, Traveler’s Aid, or other services may be able to get you into a shelter tonight.
• Talk to someone. Call a family member or a friend, or call a crisis hotline. Take a deep breath and tell the person about your problem. If they do not believe you, or do not help you, take an even deeper breath, and call someone else. Keep talking to people until you find someone who will believe and help you.

Every house faces the risk of fire. Make sure your house has smoke alarms with functioning batteries. Practice evacuating the house quickly.

Affirmation
I practice magic to survive and thrive.

Practice: Practicing to survive
What accidents have happened to you? Are you still carrying emotional weight from these accidents? Work with the secret, “Let it go.”

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