It's election time, everybody, and you know what that means. The politicians and media are going to pump you full of fear; Unemployment is soaring, Facebook stock just dropped by half. The pundits are screaming and yelling, people are
losing their jobs and homes. Everyone is throwing the blame, but no one knows
what to do. Forget red states and blue states, a state of fear is the worst
state to live in. Decisions made from a place of fear are always the wrong
ones. So let’s pull ourselves together, shall we?
First,
let me assure you of this fact: All will be well.
How
do I know? I consider myself a
connoisseur of disaster. I’ve been trapped in a burning house, bankrupted,
abandoned by my family, betrayed, destitute, mugged, sued, threatened with
violence, homeless. (And don’t even get me started on my childhood!) But guess
what? I’m happy.
I’ve
had a lot of therapy over the years to get me through the panic attacks that
used to plague me, and these are the tools I’ve learned for navigating
disaster.
ACCEPT
WHAT IS:
This
world has existed for billions of years. All kinds of catastrophes have
occurred and yet – the world still turns. The talking heads called JFK a socialist and communist and said he was destroying America, and guess what? We're still here. Yes, life will change and evolve. Everything is impermanent - the bad phases, and even the good.
The more we try to clutch onto something to keep it the way it was, the more
pain we cause ourselves. Accepting life as it is will bring you peace.
FIND YOUR FLOW:
Think of it this way: Life is a river, ever flowing, ever changing, a force all its own. You never step into the same river twice, and so it is with life. We can’t control the river, but we can learn how to navigate it. We can be dragged through it kicking and screaming, or follow the flow. Whatever is happening to cause you stress, remember: the tide will rise and fall, the sun will continue to rise every day, new life will spring up from devastation- that is the way of the world. Find your flow, and when it changes, find it again.
Think of it this way: Life is a river, ever flowing, ever changing, a force all its own. You never step into the same river twice, and so it is with life. We can’t control the river, but we can learn how to navigate it. We can be dragged through it kicking and screaming, or follow the flow. Whatever is happening to cause you stress, remember: the tide will rise and fall, the sun will continue to rise every day, new life will spring up from devastation- that is the way of the world. Find your flow, and when it changes, find it again.
STAY
IN THE PRESENT:
Wayne
Dyer said that if we stay in the present, 99% of the time, there is no problem.
I mean, unless you are in this moment hanging from a cliff by your fingernails,
which is unlikely. Most of our problems are in our heads, where we either
lament about the past, or worry about what may possibly happen in the future.
The majority of the time the things we worry about never come to pass. If we
could stay in the right here, right now, we’d realize we are okay. Ask yourself
this, right now at this very moment, are you in danger? If not, feel free to
relax, and enjoy your day.
FOCUS
ON THE GOOD:
The
world is a place full of beauty and art and music and nature and heart-stopping
wonder, and it’s all available to you. So how bad could it be? Step out of fear, and make a list of
the good things in your life. If you can’t see the good, spend a day
volunteering on Skid Row, serving the homeless. That’ll put things in
perspective. Or try playing this game:
If I were alone on a desert island, what are all the things I would
miss? Write it down. You’ll
realize just how much you have to be thankful for.
DO
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY:
No
matter what is happening in the stock market, in politics, at your job, don’t
let it rob you of JOY. Find what brings you happiness, even the little things,
and do that. If you can afford a spa day, go for it, but joy doesn’t cost
money. Take a bubble bath with candles, take a long walk in a beautiful place,
sit under a tree and read an inspiring book, buy yourself a 64-pack of brand
new Crayolas- lay on the floor and color, play your all-time favorite album, go
to the beach. Even little things can bring great joy.
GET
OUT OF DODGE:
If
you can possibly afford it, get out of town for a few days. Albert Einstein
said, “You can not solve a problem with the same mind that created it.” I know personally that I need to
get out of my every day routine and environment to look at things differently.
If I can’t get away, even a day of walking on the beach can bring that
perspective.
And
finally, if you still can’t get out of your place of fear, try this…
WHAT’S
THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN?
After
our house burned down, I had anxiety attacks. My therapist used to play this
game with me:
He’d
say, “Okay, what’s the worst that could happen?”
“I
will lose everything, be penniless and homeless and have no credit.” (All of
which did eventually happen, by the way)
“And
then what?” he’d say.
“I
guess I’ll…have to find a good job, and find a place to live.”
“And
then what?”
“Well,
I guess little by little…I’ll pay off my debt.”
“And
then what?”
“I
guess I’ll be okay.”
( I was, and I am.)
Play
this game with a friend, with every possible worst-case scenario, and keep
going until you’ve sorted it all out. The reality is never as bad as you make
it out in your head.
Look
at the people of Japan. After the tsunami and earthquake, they were out there
in the trenches with shovels, starting at square one, rebuilding their lives.
The world is resilient, and so are we. Leave fear behind. Embrace your life.
And
finally, I’ll leave you with this quote:
“Everything
will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
-author unknown
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. As for me- I'm getting out of Dodge!
