I’ve lived in Kansas nearly my entire life. Dealing with tornadoes is just part of it.
Here’s how it typically goes: it’s hot and sunny… then suddenly cold and cloudy… then it starts to rain… then the clouds move, the sun comes back—but the rain stays. If those four things happen in a row between May and September, any good Kansan will tell you: that’s not just a watch or a warning. That’s a tornado emergency. Which usually means there’s one on the ground—not far from you.
And from there, we Kansans tend to do one of two things: We either seek shelter in the basement—or grab a six-pack and watch the show.
All tornadoes (and most major weather events) have what’s called a point of genesis—the specific place where the system begins to form. Thanks to the invention of Doppler radar in the 1950s, we’ve gotten much better at detecting storms early and saving lives.
We all know the old saying: you can’t control the weather. And that’s true—so early detection is everything. It buys us time.
Now, what if we applied the same thinking to our inner world?
Every single one of us experiences pressure systems and emotional storms. I call them the days of darkness. And just like real storms, they don’t show up out of nowhere—they have a point of genesis. The difference? Most of us haven’t developed our own internal radar. We don’t see the storm forming until we’re already in it.
Enter the Early Detection System.
The Early Detection System is a personal radar you install in your own head and heart. It helps you catch the subtle warning signs—emotional, physical, and relational—before the storm hits.
When you know your patterns—when you can see the clouds forming—you give yourself a chance to respond instead of react.
Everyone needs one. Especially if you’re the person others depend on.
For me, I know a storm is coming when I start forecasting dread. When I look at the week ahead and feel the pressure start to crawl beneath my skin. That’s the siren in my head now. I’ve learned to recognize the 2–3 steps that tend to create a storm inside me. That awareness gives me something I didn’t used to have: choice.
Unlike the weather outside, I can influence the weather inside—especially if I catch it before it becomes a full-blown tornado.
For me, when there’s potential rain in the forecast, my plan is simple:
Meditate. Move my body.
That’s how I reset.
It’s not complicated. Most matters of the head and heart don’t need to be.
Now ask yourself:
- What are the first signs your internal weather is shifting?
- What emotions or habits tend to show up right before things go sideways?
- And what’s one simple action that helps you return to center?
Write them down. Recognize the pattern. Then interrupt it early.
My intention in writing this is twofold:
To help you become aware of your storm’s point of origin.
So you can either seek the shelter you need—or bring out the sunshine before the rain ever begins.
Build your radar.
Do this work.
It’ll change your life.
live freed,
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