Fear is the eater of souls. It twist our thoughts and crams us down into the pit of despair, making us selfish and greedy. It makes us think in terms of me and my, and screams at us to fend for ourselves because no one else is going to look out for us. Fear isolates us, separating us from any who have different opinions then we do. If we allow ourselves to give in to fear it will consume us, licking up every last drop of our blood and tears as a sacrificial offering, given freely without constraints.
Life is full of reasons to be fearful. We are going through a time of immense change, on an individual level, as a nation, & as a species. We are becoming more Empathic, not just some of us, but all of us. Even those of us who appear to be sleeping on the job, are actually going through deep change, and expansion. To be Empathic means we pick up on the emotions of others. This is a scary evolutionary change. Many can not tell the difference between the emotions they are picking up from others, and their own. They often feel overwhelmed, and try to push their emotions down in whatever way they can…drugs, food, TV, shopping, etc. But the changes that our world faces, and that which we experience as a species, are so intense that we cannot block them out completely. We cannot stop feeling. The more we try, the more the volume gets turned up, until we are unable to look away.
The recent election is one that truly could have no good outcome. I believe the protesting in the street would have just as likely happened if the outcome had been different. Some say we are a country divided, that we are at odds with one another. I have a different spin on things. I see that we are a species trying desperately to wake up. When we keep hitting the snooze button, the buzzer has to get louder and louder until we respond. We have had unrest in our country for quite some time now, and we are reaching the point where we can no longer sleep through the alarm. These differences we see when we look around us, are coming from a place of fear. They are coming from the belief that there is not enough to go around, that we must look out for ourselves and ourselves alone. This causes fear, and fear is quick to tell us how different we are, and how much we hate that guy over there that is not like us. This fear builds until we feel chaos all around us.
“Every act in life yields pairs of opposites in its results.” Joseph Cambell
There is a belief that chaos, and uncertainty are the breeding ground of great change. That times of destruction are closely woven with times of rebirth. We are living such times. As a species this change we are going through, this expansion of Psychic Consciousness, is forcing us to feel. It is also asking us to step up to the plate and do what we can. I believe must all do what we feel in our heart is best, if that means protesting, then pick up your sign, if that means building a bunker in the woods…have at it. But I believe the majority of us really truly want to love and be connected to our neighbors and communities. I believe this chaotic soup we are brewing holds the potential for great change on a communal level.
The reality of it is, most of us are more alike then not. When we take out the psychopaths and those with dangerous mental illness, we are actually quite similar. We all want to feel safe. We want shelter, warmth, and food in our bellies. This basic need is something shared by each and everyone of us. When those things are missing our panic, fear, and frenzy go on high, everything triggers us. The other piece we humans are searching for is companionship; family, friends, community, tribe. Some of us need a large community, some prefer a small, but we are all looking for people who get us, who appreciate us, and will care for us. We want to feel loved.
I encourage you to get involved in your world, not the big world, not the seen on TV version of reality, but the real world that exist within 20 minutes of your home. Within 20 minutes of our homes we find our regular world. The world we exist in day to day. Here we find our grocery store, our bank, gas station, school, and all the shops and people we run into regularly. I have found that even those who live in metropolitan areas, still have a tendency to frequent the same places. We do this because we are seeking community. We want to have connections, it is part of wiring as humans. It is also believed that we have a finite number of people we can have genuine relationships with. Anthropologist Robert Dunbar proposed that humans can only sustain 150 personal relationships. This is why we seek out a smaller community, even when we live in high populations.
Most of us have a community we are engaging in, even if we do not see it as so. Those of us who are close to our family know we have them, but we often forget the clerk at the bank who we always go to, the people we run into at the coffee house, the shop owners and counter workers we see on our daily run through life, and the co workers who we gossip with on break. These people are part of our community as well. If their house burnt down, or they were struggling with cancer, we would donate a few bucks, bake a casserole, or send out prayers for them.
It is our choice whether we will submit to fear or embrace love. We are free to isolate ourselves from the world, stick our heads in the sand, scream & yell, allowing ourselves to ride our raw emotions as they surface. We are also free to choose love, compassion, community and hope. I choose the latter. I choose to be a beacon of love and hope for the people I come in contact with. I will not go down like a punk, I will not throw in the towel embracing anger and fear. I am angry, I do feel it. I feel the injustice of the world, the hatred, the dog eat dog mentality preached at us by mainstream media, and I CHOOSE LOVE! My anger is there, but it does not rule me.
How do I find community?
There are a lot of people who are struggling with finding community, people who reading this are saying “that’s all fine and good, but what if you have no community?” My simple answer is VOLUNTEER. Volunteering is a powerful thing. It connects us to other people who are generous and kind, it also gives us an opportunity to give. There is nothing as rewarding as the feeling of giving. To see the appreciation on the faces of those you help, makes you feel rich. Not rich in a bank account way, but rich in character. You can choose what kind of group you want to work with, where you want to give of your time, but volunteering in ones community makes you aware of your value in that community. Whether you are working at a community meal site, raising money for your kids hockey team, fighting fires on the volunteer fire department, or singing to the elderly in a choral group, your effort given freely will empower you. It will also weave fine threads, connecting you to the people you touch and those who serve beside you.
Another way to connect with community is through spirituality. Whether you like going to church, or your beliefs are more unique, connecting with others for spiritual practice is a powerful thing. It reminds us that we are so much more then this one incarnation, this flesh and bone existence of hardship and joy. We are infinite, we are powerful and we are co-creators of our reality. I have always been a spiritual person. I love to connect with people on a deep, personal level. I also believe that I am here on this planet, at this time because I chose to be. Which means I knew what I was coming in for. When you own your existence, choosing to see it is a purposeful instead of haphazard, you begin to see the responsibility you have to being the best person you can be. Connecting with others in spiritual practice, gives strength to this belief, and empowers us.
I want each and every one of you to take a moment and think about how you can choose to be a vessel of love in this time of darkness. Do not focus on how different you are from your neighbor. They may have chosen a different political candidate then you, they may harbor different fears then you, but at the bottom of it all we are all seeking the same thing; a feeling of security and love for ourselves and those we care about. There will always be the haters, but hatred is a product of fear. Let us shed love on that and see what happens.
When I was younger I faced a lot of people who were uncomfortable with my gifts. I still do, but seem to have become a bit more immune to it. I chose to educate instead of hate. I chose to be active in my community, letting them see my kindness, dedication and moral character. When they heard I was a Witch, a Psychic, someone who talked to the Dead, they remembered my kindness, activism and dedication to my community. This shed light on the situation, allowing them to look at those things about me that scared them, differently. I was not able to sway the opinion of all, there are those who I am sure prefer to hate me and demonize me. But there are many who’s opinion was changed, they became educated. They started to see that even though I did things different then they did, I had the same desires of love, security and community as they did.
I choose to be a light in this time of darkness, shining my love beam on any and all who can see it. I choose to stand strong, help my neighbors, and remember we are all seeking the same thing. When someone screams out in anger, I choose to look at why they are scared, and ask if there is a way I can help them feel secure. We can not change everyone, some will choose to remain in hatred, fear and anger. But love is contagious, kindness is a balm for the soul, and united we can make a difference. Thanks for reading folks. Now go out and shine some love into your communities.
spreading love-salicrow
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