What would you do if your entire house burned down?

What would you feel? What would you say or do?

It is hard for many of us to imagine something like this happening. Many of us would call this a “catastrophe” or a “disaster”, and of course, it can be and will be, based on whatever meaning you give it.

David Hoffman, a documentary filmmaker, did not have to imagine such an experience, as it happened to him in 2008. However, unlike the usual reaction most would give to such a situation, he decided to give this experience a different meaning than the common negative one associated with it. In the following 4-minute TED2008 video, David explains how something “bad” can be turned into something “good,” transforming the situation in a remarkable way for our highest good.

Am I My Things?

One of the most valuable lessons from this story is not to identify with one’s material possessions. Unfortunately, defining one’s self-worth, life purpose, and importance through material possessions is something that all too many people do in modern times. We have become an excessively materialistic society that prioritizes physical items above all else and has disconnected itself from the spiritual, ethereal, and subtle realms of existence. But material items never have and never will define who you truly are. Sure, these lead to various levels of pseudo-happiness, but never to anything deep, meaningful, or long-lasting.

Most people who are enchanted by this physical illusion will never understand the above concept. Regardless, it does not make it false. So many people try to hold on to material possessions and the sentimentality that comes with them as if those items are all they are. The threat of these items disappearing brings them great discomfort. If and when the items do disappear, many people act as if they have lost a part of themselves; they are distraught, angry, sad, lost, confused, and, to some degree, in a state of mourning.

However, losing material possessions is not the end of the world; more precisely, it is not the end of us. We are so much more than any physical or material item, no matter how big or small. We are not our things, we are not even our bodies. We are consciousness experiencing itself in various forms and lifetimes. The items we have or accumulate in any given lifetime, or at any moment in a lifetime, can be enjoyed as we see fit, but they are not our defining factor. Yes, some are required to live with a certain sense of safety and wellbeing, such as a suitable shelter, clothing, and food. Most items that we accumulate, however, are optional and privileged additions for our enjoyment, entertainment, aesthetic purposes, status, etc.

The message here is not that one needs to renounce or reject all material items. On the contrary, we can enjoy whatever items bring us pleasure if and when we have them. The key is not to be defined by any given item(s), enjoy them in the present moment, and always remember that they are temporary, transient, and impermanent. It is great when any material items we enjoy are there, but you are no less when they are not.

Some may think that David’s experience may not be a good representation of such a “difficult” situation, since David is a well-off celebrity, and hence, can replace his material items rather easily. However, as he shared, most of what he lost had sentimental attachments, which, generally speaking, as most see it, no money in the world can replace. Here is where we are most strongly reminded that we are no less without such items. All the experiences and memories we make are always with us, and no object in the world, whether present or absent, changes that one bit. We are spiritual beings, our consciousness is timeless, and oftentimes, losing physical items is an opportunity to be reminded of this aspect. What we call “difficult,” “challenging,” or a “tragedy” is, unfortunately, often what many people need to “wake up” and experience some sort of transcendence beyond the physical illusion.

Turning Something Bad Into Something Good

The second, and equally important, lesson from this example is that we hold the power to give a situation meaning. The situation does not have power over us unless we let it.

To some, perhaps even most, it would seem that David lost “everything” in this fire, sentimentally and materially speaking. He lost archives, collections, and single copies of his films, books, and photographs, and that is just aside from the usual household items. He could have crumbled, he could have lamented and felt like his world collapsed – but he didn’t. Instead, he decided to turn this so-called “disaster” into a project he titled “Life of Bits and Pieces”. And what is more, in the midst of this situation, he even went on TED to reach out to millions and share his story of the so-called “loss”.

David himself acknowledged that he had an “epiphany” from this experience, and it is those “epiphanies” that lead us to opportunities for higher growth and evolution. They are not only amazing foundations for new learning but also carry with them immense opportunities for experiencing ourselves in our truest nature. Imagine that, David “saw” his picture collections as looking “better” burned than the way they used to be. This also shows that how we view things and what we decide in our minds are within our control.

Hence, in the midst of this growth opportunity, David chose to grow, not to crumble and offer appreciation, not anger, for what he was presented with. This is an inspiration in itself, which illustrates the power of the human being. Whatever situations, problems, challenges, or experiences come your way, intentionally or unintentionally, may you always hold in your awareness that they all serve a valuable purpose, whether we are aware of it at the time or not. Each “challenge” provides an opportunity for personal growth and to experience the magnificence of the human being that we are and can be. We just have to rise to the occasion that is presented before us, release limiting beliefs, and embrace the power and the ability that is within us to turn something “bad” into something “good”.