We are finding ourselves in the midst of tremendous change. Those of us in California are struggling with smoky skies, fires, heat and uncertainty. We are being asked to acclimate to life in quarantine, even though we don't really like it much. Like you, I find myself seeking words of wisdom and guidance to help me thrive. I keep a journal of the most helpful ones, both for myself and to pass along to you. Thankfully, there are many of them offered by wise souls who know that this is a time of the Great Turning. I agree with this. As my teacher Hank Wesselman says, we are all involved in creating a new world. We are the transformational community!
Yes, these times are unprecedented. And yes, humans are very resilient if we have the tools we need to look forward instead of backward. The important thing is to find yourself and not let yourself be distracted and carried away by the human dramas that seek to bludgeon our senses and our inner knowing.
I suggest turning off the news. Have a daily practice to keep your awareness honed. Seek out people who have creative ideas about how to navigate times of hardship. Guard against drowning in a sea of negativity. Continue to reach out to your community, even if it's just one person. And most of all, please take this time of isolation to learn to love and forgive yourself and others, because you are important and you are needed right now! The world is crying out for kindness, gentleness, and connection, and that is where people who are awake can be of service.
One way of beginning the process of forgiveness is to take a moment to write down what and who you want to forgive on a small piece of paper. You can write in more detail afterward. Include forgiving yourself. Then, light a candle and burn the small piece of paper, dropping it into a dish of water. Say our loud to yourself: I release the need to know how it will all turn out. I release the toxicity and contamination of holding grudges and judgments. Clap your hands three times to release the energy. Now you can write in more detail as your feelings are freed up. See how you feel afterward.
We are being asked to move out of old patterns of the person we were yesterday, to find gratitude for the simple things in our lives. Through moving from a place of rigidity we can transform ourselves to connecting to the goodness inside of us. We have much work to do, and we can do it together. As Pixie Lighthorse says, Don’t give up before the miracle!
Wishing you peace and safety,
Susan