The terrorist bombing at the Manchester Arena, following the Ariana Grande concert on Monday in Great Britain, is an event that has shocked people around the world. It’s a reminder that the world we live in today is far different than it used to be. For many, it is painful reminder of the events of September 11, 2001, when we felt the hatred of extremists in a distant country impacting us on our own shores.

These random acts of terrorism have taken away from us our own sense of safety and security. Despite the many precautions that are taken, we have found that it’s almost impossible to make any event totally safe. We were certainly reminded of this with the bombing of the Boston Marathon in 2013. Those who target innocent people with acts of violence have introduced yet another level of grief to our society.

Even though we may not personally know anyone who died or was injured in these or the many other attacks in the last 16 years, they still impact us on an emotional level. As we see these stories unfold on television in our own homes, and hear detailed accounts of the victims, we cannot help being emotionally scarred. The grief we feel is not only for those involved, but also for ourselves as well. We cannot help but wonder what these victims are going through, or, worse yet, if someday we will be among them.

In this sense, these terrorists have accomplished their goal. They have brought fear and grief into the lives of people all over the world. If we give them the power to control our happiness, they are truly the winners!

How do we take back our happiness?

We cannot guard against every possibility of danger, but we can take action to deal with our emotional pain, fear and grief. Events, such as this, make us acutely aware have how little control we have over everything that can happen to us. We need to remember that it’s not just terrorists who separate us from those we love. Illness, accidents and the many other events of daily living are far more likely to touch us personally than the act of a terrorist.

We can take action to deal with these grief causing events in daily living. Keeping our emotional relationships “complete” is one way of doing so. By eliminating the “unfinished business” in all of our ongoing relationships, we can greatly reduce the emotional pain and stress that we experience. Rather than waiting until tomorrow, or after someone is gone from our lives, we can work on make all of our ongoing relationships better today. This is the focus of The Grief Recovery Method.

Most people don’t think about the things they might have wished had been different, better or more in any of our relationships until they have physically ended. That is when we suddenly become aware of these things, as we are facing a future that is different than the one we had imagined. You can make these relationships far better, while they are still ongoing, by creating a new habit on how you communicate with those around you. Grief is not just something you feel after a death. It is something you experience with anything in your life that is other than you wish it could be!

“The Grief Recovery Handbook” will help you learn the necessary tools to deal not only with deaths, but any other changes in your life. Additionally, it can be very effective in helping you move beyond the fear of daily living that extremist acts have introduced into our lives.

Children experience grief, loss and fears when events take place. Children see and hear about tragic horrific events, such as attacks in Manchester, Paris, Boston, 9-11, or Orlando, to name just a few. The world can seem like a very scary place to them as well. If you find yourself at a loss on how to help your children deal with the losses that they have experienced, or in how to help them feel safe in this world where they constantly hear about horrible things happening to other, you will find that “When Children Grieve” is a very powerful assist. This isn’t a book that you give your children to read. Instead, it’s designed to give parents and caregivers the information they need to better communicate with their children about grief and loss. It will open the door to a parent to make it safe for their children to share their fears and emotional feelings.

Our hearts go out to all of the families who have been impacted by the Manchester bombing. It has touched all of us. It’s our hope that rather than allowing this and other such events from continuing to take an emotional toll on your daily life, that you will take action for yourself to deal with this impact in a positive manner. We at The Grief Recovery Institute are here to be a part of this action and solution.