Grace Under Fire

As many of you know, besides making visionary music, I also do hypnotherapy, coaching/counseling & sound healing. And since 2016, I’ve seen a big increase in the level of anxiety in nearly every client.  (Studies confirm this: anxiety is on the rise world-wide.)

Some of my clients follow me on FB, and I’ve tried to be conscious to post less about the myriad of challenges we face (politically and environmentally), and mainly about the *solutions* to some of these crisis we’re facing as a species, as well as the absolute beauty of life on Earth, right NOW, in this moment.   But I have begun to feel that those posts are not quite balanced, and while I don’t wish to overwhelm with negativity, I also don’t want to encourage unhelpful, unrealistic “positivity”. As someone who remains engaged and very aware of how dire our environmental issues are, and of the highly toxic actions (and often illegal) behavior of the current authoritarian political regime in the USA (and sadly, elsewhere), I feel like part of my job is to share the gift of resilience.  In a time where far-right politicians, who have shown their disdain for things we value like human rights, civil rights, democracy and our living planet, work to divide and manipulate people, we can’t afford to not pay attention, yet these issues are the root of the rapid rise of anxiety right now. False platitudes and a pseudo-positive attitude, ignoring the challenges without taking real action won’t cut it.

How do we become resilient?

The question I’m often asked is  “How do we remain engaged and aware of what is happening without giving into despair, or burnout – how do we hold the information while remaining centered and conscious?” The solution is to take action from a place of compassion and love. Even the tiniest actions are meaningful. You are making a difference.

Taking Action from a place of love is the antidote to despair.

We’re facing huge tasks; is humanity up to it? We’ve done some amazing things – we went to the moon! Can’t we get to a place where we respect & heal what we’ve done to our beautiful planetary home & our fellow Earthlings?

So many great things are happening right now to make positive change: we’re working to clean plastic from our oceans, replant forests, generate green energy, and end our suicidal addiction to oil . We’re seeing a push for a society that values everyone.  And yet, paradoxically, many of the people in political power are driven by sociopathic corporate interest.  This is especially true in the United States.  The person sitting in our White House is taking as many actions as he can to undo our environmental protections, our civil rights, equality and justice.  tRump is like the embodiment of all our vices in one truly toxic being. I think of him as the walking display of the ancient’s seven deadly sins.

If we look at it this way, he, and his cult-like followers, can be a tool for our growth and enlightenment.  What if, every time he does something horrible we all respond by taking an action of healing & love? Where he issues statements encouraging violence, we take action for peace.  When his policies harm wildlife and the environment, plant trees, plant native plants that help wildlife thrive, and work for change on a local level. It can be small things: be kind, be generous, be inclusive. Make art. Join with others making a difference. Donate to help the poor, the immigrant, our environment. Do whatever makes your heart sing, and unleashes positive energy out into the world.

There are other tools: Laughing at authoritarians like tRump reduces our fears and anxieties, and gives us an empowering shared realization that we all see that the Emperor has no clothes.

Environmentally, the question remains: Will humankind get it together in time? Can we heal what we’ve broken? We might. We might not. But we are each living here NOW, in this tumultuous time for a reason. We are lovers and warriors. We’re all in this together. Let’s support each other as we work towards healing.

I recently read an article that posits that just as each of us goes through a “dark night of the soul”, perhaps Humankind is going through this now, as a species.

And after the dark night of the soul, what happens to us as individuals?  We emerge having learned valuable lessons about ourselves. We are better, more humble, more wise, more compassionate for having gone through it. Humanity, then, is collectively having the same experience right now.  What if this trauma we Earthlings are sharing is also our greatest tool for spiritual and personal transformation?

I feel like our challenge now is to remain very aware, yet still live with grace and take action with love. Do the work that calls you.  Write music, make art, plant trees, make dolls for immigrant children, work for political change, and take responsibility for our part in creating the current problem; be a part of a new, more wise & just culture that is rising.  And be an example of grace under fire. Let’s be very aware of the danger we face, yet rise above hatred and tribalism that threatens to engulf society.

That’s probably the biggest challenge of all: to have eyes wide open, yet not to give in to hate, apathy, helplessness & fear but instead, be an example of what humankind CAN be: creative, loving, resilient, compassionate and strong.

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