Laurie Nadel - The Five Gifts: Discovering Hope, Healing and Strength When Disaster Strikes

Advance Praise

When she was a journalist in the 1970s, Laurie Nadel covered Chile following the military coup that brought General Augusto Pinochet to power. That experiencecombined with her deep compassionled her to help create the Committee to Protect Journalists, an organization which since 1981 has fought for the right of journalists around the world to report the news. In this book, Nadel draws from her experience surviving Hurricane Sandy while huddled in her attic and taps into her enormous reservoir of empathy to offer guidance to all those who have experienced trauma. There is no one in the world who cares more than Laurie Nadel.

Joel Simon ,
Executive Director, CPJ

This is a fantastic book. I always like to quote that The problem is not the problem; the problem is how you deal with the problem. Dr. Nadel guides you through adversities using other cultures wisdom to transform the problem into a growth opportunityher last gift. This book is the gift that American society needs now to reassess its values and to reconquer its wisdom.

Dr. G. Clotaire Rapaille ,
Author of The Culture Code

This is a fine teaching for anyone in this human condition.

Zen Monk Dai-en Friedman

If the reader cant find some strength, courage, hope, peace, and/or healing in this work then they are not paying attention.

Alan Clyne ,
US Marine Corps (Ret.)

Learning the Five Gifts was the most important healing journey of my life. They have helped me in ways I could not have possibly imagined.

Frank Smyth ,
Founder and Executive Director of the Global Journalist Security

In these unusual times of our human existence, Dr. Laurie Nadels new book is an elixir for the soul. A guide to finding the power and direction to reclaim your life when all is lost. The Five Gifts is the ultimate bible to survival. A spiritual and wisdom filled journey by one of Americas great thinkers. This is a book we need to read before tragedy strikes. The life it saves could be our own.

Harris Salomon ,
President/Producer, Atlantic Overseas Pictures Television

Thanks to Dr. Laurie for these important first steps into the future that we now face in our wounded world. Her book is a necessary companion to all those who are becoming professionals in service to others instead of self.

Leslie McTyre ,
UNICEF ambulance driver during the Rwandan genocide

My fire service is dedicated to the memory of my best friend, FDNY Captain Patrick J. Brown LADDER-3, who was killed on 9/11/01. He said, You can do everything right and still be killed on the job. To understand this reality and still perform ones duty speaks to the humility, courage, and inherent calling of first responders. This book speaks to how trauma invariably batters itself against these most human qualities. And it reinforces what Patrick believed: When they need help, they call us, but when we need help we call each other. Its a brotherhood.

Robert John Burke ,
Captain, Ocean Beach, New York Fire Department

There are five things you should know about author Dr. Laurie Nadel: she is a kick-ass writer; she has more guts than most people I know; she is intimately connected to human nature at its core; she is a meticulous researcher; and she is a great alchemist. The Five Gifts clearly demonstrates how to transform serious human trauma into silver linings and golden dreams for our future.

Nancy du Tertre, Esq .,
Remoter Viewer and Author, Psychic Intuition: Everything You Ever Wanted to Ask But Were Afraid to Know

In The Five Gifts, Dr. Laurie helps the reader find ways to move from devastation to hopefulness. She shows how NLP protocols and presuppositions reframe disaster as an opportunity for new learning and creative applications for recovery and healing.

Rachel Hott, PhD ,
Co-director of The NLP Center of New York

The Five

Gifts

Discovering Hope, Healing,
and Strength When Disaster Strikes

Laurie Nadel, PhD
Foreword by Dan Rather

Health Communications, Inc.

Deerfield Beach, Florida

www.hcibooks.com

DISCLAIMER: All events in this book are true. Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals who have bravely shared their stories. The information in this book is not intended to replace or be a substitute for professional medical or psychological help. If readers have a medical or psychological issue, seek the advice of your doctor or mental health practitioner.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
is available through the Library of Congress

The Five Gifts: Discovering Hope, Healing, and Strength When Disaster Strikes

2018 Laurie Nadel, PhD

ISBN-13: 978-07573-2044-6 (Paperback)

ISBN-10: 07573-2044-9 (Paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-07573-2045-3 (ePub)

ISBN-10: 07573-2045-7 (ePub)

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

HCI, its logos, and marks are trademarks of Health Communications, Inc.

Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 334428190

Cover and interior design by Lawna Patterson Oldfield
ePub created by Dawn Von Strolley Grove

Contents

A lthough writing is a solitary activity, this book would not have come into being without the unconditional support of many people. While I cannot thank everyone by name, I owe deep thanks to my patient family and friendsespecially Jameswho put up with me as I carved chapters out of thin air while balancing research, interviews, and organization.

My deepest thanks to Dan Rather, who has never stopped believing in my work and who continues to encourage me to write. I have been privileged to work with him, and his values, strength, and work ethic always inspire me to go the course.

For their generous endorsements, thanks to Dr. Larry Dossey, Nancy du Tertre, Dr. and Mrs. Clotaire Rapaille, Harris Salomon, and Joel Simon of the Committee to Protect Journalists.

As Dorothy Parker wrote, Writing is a tough and lonely job. Megan Marshack, Lisa Hagan, and PJ Dempsey held my hand every step of the way. Sakura Amend, thanks for believing in this book from the beginning. You are the best!

Working with the editorial and publicity team at Health Communications, Inc. has surpassed all previous experiences with publishers. In addition to their creativity and support for The Five Gifts , they bring an exceptional level of professionalism to the complex process of editing, producing, and promoting a new book. A deep bow to my amazing editor Allison Janse, book designer Lawna Oldfield, copy editor David Tabatsky, and my media soul sister Kim Weiss.

At News and Guts Media, thanks to the ever-patient Alex van Amson, Phil Kim, and Wayne Nelson. At MindBodyNetwork.com, my gratitude to Tore Kesicki, Mark Callipari, and James Retza. At the New York Times , thanks to Pat Lyons, Phil Coffin, Dean Toda, and Marcelle Fischler.

Going above and beyond the call of friendship, a shout out to: my Sarah Lawrence BFFs Amy Nicholls, Bernice Green (okay, we go back to high school), Teresa Oster, and Vern Oster; Patty Harris; Barbara Vettell; CBS News alums Ted Data, Haig Tufankjian, Jack Smith, Laurie Singer, and Nell Donovan (and Bill Frolisch); in Long Beach City Hall, Robin Lynch and Izzy; and the congregation at St. James of Jerusalem. At the WTC Family Center, thanks to Dr. Tom Demaria, Dr. Minna Barrett, Margie Miller, Carole Sankary Cullens, and the Comfortos.