Birth and death, birth and death, and on and on the cycle continues. I speak only from my personal experiences with both and my spiritual path that has given light to the sheer beauty that exists in this cycle. It’s within the magic of both giving birth, and experiencing the intimacy and darkness of death, that my own surrender to the cycle allows a freedom so great I am compelled to share the transformative magic with you. This surrender invites the ability to conquer the fear of both and then allow the Self to be swept into the cycle without resistance, and ultimately open the door to the unlimited potential in life. It’s timely that I publish this on Mother’s Day for we must remember that we all come from Source, our mother is the flesh, born from the earth and the cosmos. We are made up of the same matter that exists in everything around us and it is within the universe that we belong. We are born, and then we die, and always return to the same Source from which we were conceived.
Still, uncertainty may plague your mind, but don’t worry, you’re not in the boat alone. The truth is we’re all uncertain, it’s just that some of us accept uncertainty while others fear it. I’ll begin by stating the obvious, uncertainty could give rise to both disempowerment or empowerment. Emotions either lead to action or inaction, so by focusing on the perceived “bad” outcomes as opposed to “good” possibilities we become slaves to suffering and subsequently drain ourselves of energy that could otherwise be utilized to create positive outcomes in our lives.
The next most obvious thing is to put it into perspective. What are you in control of in your life right here and now? Is it logical to look at big picture issues and invest in worrisome emotions, or can you work to bring yourself back into the day to day of your own life to enact positive outcomes? Horrific events have occurred all throughout history and are currently occurring right now in millions of peoples lives all around the world, the problem is that we are being delivered hundreds of stories (often distorted for entertainment value), every day due to the sheer amount of information we have access to at any given moment, and all of those stories take an emotional toll on our psyche.
In contrast, despite the precariousness of global affairs, there is joy and wonder occurring around the world, every moment of every day as well. Mothers giving birth to infants, love being celebrated in the unification of lovers, of community, and milestones being met while challenges are overcome. There are some places that still exist where humans have no concept of the world at large and never think outside their immediate environment. There are people who never settle into the fear and uncertainty of global affairs and the potential of the impending doom of war or devastation that climate change may bring. Those people are able to live in the so called “moment”, suffering less from the “unknown” because of the sheer importance of surviving in this moment to ensure the survival in the next. That’s not to say they do not suffer, in fact suffering is a large part of the human experience, but when you have to live in the moment just to survive in the short term, you focus on what is in your immediate control rather than fearing the change of events beyond your control.
So how can you balance your emotions in this age of information technology which exposes our minds to daily feeds of potential global war, major social unrest, and impending environmental disaster? The solution is pretty simple actually, and for our human mind, spirit, and soul, we would be best served by developing exponential faith and trust.
Faith is “knowing” that you are doing the best you can given your current situation, and you are possibly even doing exceptional work that will lead to great outcomes. Faith is continuing to show up for your life with enthusiasm because you “know” that your disciplined actions will bring beneficial results. Faith is also “knowing” that you have put in the time and practice to maintain healthy, loving relationships with yourself, with your friends, with your community, and with your family, because it is they who will support you when, and if, you need them.
Trust is “knowing” that you won’t let yourself down. Get it? Trust that it is only you who will modify the outcomes of your life. Only you can to build optimism, build enthusiasm, and then allow events to unfold, as you surrender and go with the flow. Going with the flow means that even if that waves of life pummel you, the strength inside you won’t be defeated, YOU will rise and shake off the residue from the tumbles and then you will begin again or continue on, whichever is needed. Surrender allows you to take a deep, cleansing breath, and then prepare for the next hurdle which very well could lead to the greener pastures that you’ve made sure to set your intentions on. Why not look forward to the other side rather than fear the unknown outcomes that lie ahead? Needless to say you wouldn’t want to second guess yourself if you are running full speed towards that hurdle, it would only guarantee that you fall on your face.
And sometimes you will fall, but it is only within you to build the strength, perseverance, and resilience, so that after the fall, at the darkest time, that catalyzing transformation begins. Fall is not failure unless you don’t learn from the experience. You may also recognize that your own thoughts give way to action, either perceived negative or positive, so why not focus on the latter? Notice that I’m using the term “perceived”, because it’s only in YOUR perception that YOUR truth is revealed. So you can perceive an event as being devastating, scary, and traumatic, or you can choose to assume it’s a valuable lesson that you couldn’t have learned any other way, and then utilize that lesson as an opportunity for growth. In fact, you can use any experience as fuel for your inner fire to drive you forward, and sometimes you need that fall to shake you out of complacency and stagnation. This is called determination and all the great leaders of our world have had plenty of that. Unshakeable determination.
The real courage comes through setting intention and then taking decisive action. Even if you have doubts, or questions, you can decide on something and then go for it. There isn’t a rule that says you can’t modify your intentions along the way. In other words, go with the flow even if the flow changes mid stream. We all have our cycles of thoughts and individual perceptions which equate to real consequences. Thoughts shape us and direct our outcomes even if we don’t realize it at the time. People generally sabotage themselves by worrying about failure rather than focusing on success. They are more concerned about what others will think, rather than being true to themselves and their highest potentials and goals; however, as long as they’re living and acting with integrity, and keeping true to their values, they do not need to be concerned about what others think. Each of them, as individuals will live with the results of their own actions, while others will forget quickly what actions they took and the consequences of those actions.
I myself have experienced so many significant synchronicities in my life that were clearly born from previous thoughts and intentions, and while often it was only in retrospect that I became aware of the synchronistic nature of my thoughts leading to outcomes, the results were undeniable. Make sure when you think about the future that you are imaging the best possible outcomes, and then be empowered by those visualizations. Write them down, draw them out, build those dreams as if you knew they would manifest. If you give in to a fear state and begin to imagine the worst outcomes, then know, acknowledge that you are sapping yourself of much needed energy and you are ensuring the future will indeed be gloomy.
The biggest dreamers make the largest impressions, it’s time to take control of what you allow to take up real estate in your mind. Breath deep, exhale, and empower yourself to create your brightest future possible, one step at a time. Begin with the small intentions, even if it’s only to first put your shoes on and then walk out the door.
Yes the tide will come in fierce, the waves will crash, but the rainbow is there.