The chaos in the world is starting to get to me. It’s hard to stay away from the news — something I have done for the last 30 years — but suddenly I can’t stop looking to see what new atrocity has occurred. At the core, I believe that this is a time when underlying emotions are rising to the surface to be seen, understood and healed. But, whew! It’s challenging to be confronted by so much all at once.
Look, we’re all human, and it is the human condition to have fears and emotions about everything, and to judge situations as they happen. However, it is inappropriate to let fear be the overriding emotion upon which we base our decisions in the now or our assumptions of the future.
The best way to be a positive contribution to our own lives is to examine our thoughts — all of them, down to the smallest reactions and the smallest inconveniences. We must learn to flip the switch from negative to neutral when reacting to a situation that is out of our control. We can be vigilant about our thoughts and projections onto other people and events. It is also important to be checking in with our own prejudices, judgments and minor aggressions.
We can choose to bring light into our lives regardless of what is happening outside of ourselves, even while staying compassionate and caring. We have so many luxuries in this country that others don’t have access to. And even when we are going through challenging, difficult, hard times, we must remember that things eventually improve and, as a country, we are still luckier than most. We are also conscious enough now to know that we are the powerful creators of our lives, and if we have created something we don’t like, we are equally able to create something new and different at any time.
Here is a practice that may help you make a simple shift:
Notice what your first thoughts are when you wake up in the morning. Where does your mind go? Do you wake up thinking, “Ugh, another day.”? Do thoughts of your day’s obligations spring to mind? Or do you bring back emotional turmoil from the day before?
How many days a week do you open your eyes and think, “Yes! I am so excited to do today!”?
Try this experiment for a week: notice your first thoughts in the morning, and see if changing any negative or low-vibrational thoughts into something positive effects your day. Notice if it effects your attitude. Notice if it effects your relationships.
Here are some practices to try upon awakening:
• Smile;
• Recite an affirmation (I am fond of the Access Consciousness affirmation, “All of life comes to me with ease, joy and glory.”);
• Think of those you love;
• Relish the miracle of your breath or the movement of your body;
• Think of something you have to look forward to;
• As you think of your daily To Do list, reframe it as things you get to do, not things you have to do.
Let’s continue to create the positive energy we wish to see and have in the world. The Aborigine saying comes to my mind, “Dream the world into being.” The fact that we are alive here and now means that we have the power to make a huge difference, even starting from a small spot. The world needs us all to wake up.