How do you heal division, anxiety, and paralysis?Sunday I got back from a weekend retreat gathering in community to explore resiliency from the inside out. It was deeply fulfilling and relaxing, even though we spent most of the weekend discussing the division and anxiety that is going on in politics, community, family, and in ourselves, and what we can do about it. I normally shy away from politics in these emails, and I want to reassure you that
I am reaching out to offer some recommendations for you to consider that will help re-connect you to wellbeing. Political division is undeniably what is happening in our world, big time. Connecting to your own wellbeing is the solution I am recommending, big time. Read on if you are curious.
In my profession (and because I’m me) I talk with people all day long about how they are really doing. What I’ve noticed in the past several months is that there is a lot of anxiety, division, and paralysis. No matter what side people are on for a variety of hot topics, even if they are not on a side, people are feeling uneasy and unclear about what they should be doing.
I’ve talked with people on the more liberal side who are full of fear and anger about what the current administration is going to do to our country and the planet. I’ve talked with people who are on the more conservative side who are experiencing hate and anger directed at them which has left them feeling ostracized, alone, and fearful. And I’ve talked with people who aren’t strongly on either side who are experiencing a general low level anxiety about the fact that barely anyone is willing to listen to anyone else.
The biggest problem that I see is that our culture values the angry and fearful thinking. Our culture says that if we aren’t looking out for what could go wrong, we won’t be ready. If we don’t plan for all the possibilities, especially the horrible ones, we won’t know what to do when something happens.
But this is just a big misunderstanding.
I recommend you consider trusting yourself and that you will know what is yours to do. Consider that intellectually mulling over all the things that might happen and all your possible responses is a waste of energy, and would actually just wear you down. Remember the times when something came out of left field, often something really big, and you went into autopilot and took care of it, to the best of your ability in the moment, and it all worked out for the best in the bigger picture?
Consider that such wisdom and insight is available to you at all times.
Consider the idea that we all need to unplug and hit the reset button in order to function at our best. I had a rental car once that we had to pull over and turn it totally off and back on again to get the windows to roll up. Thank goodness my friend who was driving had the idea to give that a try before we drove for too long on a cold February morning while I kept pushing the window up button to no effect. Consider that the only way to get fresh thinking is to give yourself permission to drop your current thinking for a few moments, or longer.
That by unplugging from the constant stream of thinking and planning in your head, you’ll actually more easily connect to wisdom and insight that will help you be your best and take lots of action in the direction of inspiration.
Consider that it’s a great time to surround yourself with community that is interested in wellbeing–for themselves, for their family, for our country, for the world. Consider that those people may have different views about how to get to wellbeing and that it would be helpful to hear different perspectives, because you will learn about others and yourself. Consider that it would be helpful to avoid assuming what other peoples’ thinking is at any moment, because what they are actually thinking is probably much more interesting. Consider that doing your best to treat others with love and kindness is good for them and really good for you.
There are so many ways to hit the reset button, strengthen your trust in your innate health, and find community that is interested in wellbeing. What are your favorites?
My favorite ways are acupuncture (not so much community but lots of resetting the body) and our monthly Wisdom Workshops (focused on resetting the mind and connecting to wisdom, with a dash of community). Please check out the information I share about
acupuncture for emotional balancing and the
Wisdom Workshops (next one is March 10
th) on my website. If you have questions about how either of those options could help you during these times of division, anxiety, and paralysis I’m happy to chat with you.
I hope most of all that you’ll consider what you can gain from dropping your stressful thinking and finding your way to insight and wisdom about what is yours to do. Then get out there and do it with gusto.
Because the world needs your best you!
Be Well,
Christina Ness-Hawks, LAc
