|
“Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I’d like to see you in better living conditions.” ~Hafiz.
If everything truly is a teacher, then there is much to learn from these moments we find ourselves in. Moments that challenge our sense of what is civil, what is dignified, what is just. But, if we cannot meet these moments with equanimity, we risk missing the lesson. It is easy to be consumed by anxiety right now, succumbing to uncertainty and “what-ifs”, unsure what direction to turn in. For some, we turn toward the comfort of sense addictions to numb ourselves by watching too much television, drinking too much, or spending too much money. For others, we may stick our head in the sand, avoiding the news, or adopting a stance that what is happening in the word holds little relevance for us. But it is just as easy to let our desire for justice cloud our wisdom and become a self-righteous rationalization for hatred and violence of our own. Each of these responses is driven by fear. Each is a manifestation of the fight, flight, or freeze posture of the sympathetic central nervous system when confronted with threat. While this is an automated physiological response, once we realize it has occurred, we do have a choice: we can surrender to it and fuel it, or we can begin to soothe the arousal we feel and bring ourselves gently back to regulation. The former is the choice most of us make because it is the path of least resistance, particularly when we find belonging in groups that want to mirror back to us our helplessness/ignorance/rage. It can feel so affirming to join with others around uncertainty, suffering, and injustice. But this is not soothing to the CNS, and it doesn’t address the fear. Instead, it sustains and inflames it under the guise of remediating it. I invite you to play the long game here, particularly if your work is to be of service to others. We cannot reliably care for those who are suffering until we move through fear and care for ourselves. Devise some strategies that help you to stay grounded and balanced. Develop a practice that truly centers on soothing your central nervous system as it is forced to traverse such a hostile landscape. When you become activated (and you most certainly will), don’t let fear win. Develop a regular movement practice, make art, learn to be mindful. Remember that you are not alone. Join one of our meditation groups or our study group. Channel your energy into being of service to those less fortunate. Rebellion? Hell yes! But not if fueled by hate. Let it be powered instead by the desire to make the world a better, safer, and more loving place for us all. Blessings on your journey, Louisa
0 Comments
My mood feels like the weather as of late, bouncing between breezy spring days, and mournful late winter blizzards, unsure of what season to settle into.
There is so much coming at us right now, so much change to adapt to on a seemingly daily basis. Many puzzle pieces to try to assemble into something recognizable as we wait for what lies ahead in the next news cycle. Yet, amid all the chaos and challenges to our great social contract, there are still tender moments of presence and the holy that I am fortunate enough to witness in my friends, between strangers at the park, with my children, and the occasional random acts of kindness that restore my sometimes wilting faith in the fundamental goodness of humanity. It is necessary right now to have evidence that love and compassion are still alive, particularly among strangers. Of course, we may have to look a little more diligently than before for moments of courtesy and warmth. These occasions are quiet and unimposing. They don’t command the spotlight or the news cycle with as much gusto as the fear mongering and hate. They don’t insist on being scrutinized and debated before being digested. They require no acknowledgement at all. They simply are. Kindness necessitates stillness, some quieting within ourselves to see these gentle moments properly. Having found that quiet, we may further discover ways to initiate our own small acts of kindness and care, reminders that we don’t have to ascribe to judgement or vacuous noise - reminders that civility, respect, and dignity still matter. How might this look in practice? Gestures both grand and small from paying for the coffee of the car in line behind you, to not cursing the driver that just cut you off in traffic, bring a salve to the soul of both the giver and the receiver. A nod of acknowledgement or welcoming smile when we pass others in the street, seeing within them the bright soul that they are, and not their affiliations to one group or another. We know how to do this. It shouldn’t be hard to remember compassion, to help where help is needed, to be tender and generous. After all, as the Dalai Lama once answered, “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” This is a faith we should all share in. Blessings on your journey, Louisa |
AuthorLouisa has always enjoyed writing and is thrilled that she now has a way to share her musings with a larger community of like-minded seekers. Her writing is often an extension and exploration of the struggles she faces in integrating her own spirituality, scholarly study, life experience, and nuggets of brilliance from her teachers in the hopes that it might alchemically transform itself into something approximating wisdom. Archives
January 2026
|
