How to Cope

We’re all feeling it. How can we not. The influx of stress, grief and fear propelled by ongoing natural disasters, negative political energy and unthinkable acts of violence has left many of us shaken and stirred.

Mornings now include taking a deep breath in apprehension before opening the newspaper or turning on the television. Evenings follow with prayers for others and the state of our world.

Life’s unpredictability has been walking a tightrope, weebling and wobbling our spirits and keeping us on quite the edge. At times, even threatening our mortality and putting survival mechanisms on high alert.

Much of the world is left confused and wondering—short of us burying our head in the sand, how are we to cope? We can’t go on whistling in the dark, trying to convince ourselves things aren’t as bad as they actually are. And we certainly mustn’t pretend everything’s alright if the reality is we’re feeling upset or worried.

How then, can we stay updated and educated on current happenings without getting jolted into the gloom of despair, anger and hopelessness?

There’s got to be a way to preserve an emotionally healthy life among the deplorable events that are consistently arising. A way to witness dreadful tragedies and political upheaval and feel compassion for those affected, yet all the while not lose a sense of our self, hinder our joy, or shape-shift our psyche.

The solution isn’t positive thinking, reciting prayers of gratitude or donating to the latest disaster relief fund. Yes, those things help and let’s keep doing them. But just doing them is cookie-cutter grade for what the world is going through right now. It’s time to step things up a notch.

In order to keep humanity from falling apart, we must first hold it together—by holding it, together. What does that mean in practical terms? It means that more is needed than hope and prayers.

We need Collective Engagement; all hands-on deck. It’s time to demonstrate hope, prayer, gratitude and generosity. And do so with certainty--in the very face of uncertainty.

                                           
                                                 How and Where do we begin?

By making a renewed commitment to our physical, emotional and energetic connection with all living things. And then (this is the notch-up part) bringing that commitment to life through action. Actively reasserting and extending our genuine selves to each other becomes a glue for unity.

So, in addition to “thinking” those hopeful thoughts, let’s actively represent hope to others by lifting their doubts and angst when we speak. As well as “sending” prayers from our mind, let’s actively extend prayers through our daily movements by smiling, sharing, offering and blessing others.

Along with “feeling” grateful inside, let’s exercise gratitude outward through kindness, respect and verbal appreciation.

And let’s keep “donating” when possible, to those less fortunate, but also exhibit generosity through presence, encouragement, spending time with and helping others.

Pimp up your hopes, prayers, gratitude and generosity through the demonstration of them. Bring all of your inner faith and support, to the outside. When you do this, it turns on a light in your heart and others feel it in a way they otherwise wouldn’t have.

This becomes a beautiful two-way gift, in that others inspire our inner light to show up, which we in-turn hand to them in the midst of their darkness.

The bonus track is that doing this is just as effective when we demonstrate faith and support to ourselves. It’s actually the same outcome, in reverse. By bringing hope, gratitude or any high vibration to life through action, you also bring it to life within yourself—which ultimately ripples out touching the lives of others.

So, again, instead of just praying to be surrounded by love, go out and surround yourself with love. Call friends and family or strike up conversation with strangers. Instead of praying to be protected, go out and protect someone else; buy a 33 cents banana for a homeless person on the corner or donate clothes to the local free box.

Why settle for hoping for more joy or strength, how about calling it forth by bringing one of your heroes forward. Heroes are all around us. They can be anything from great names of the past, people we know presently, animals, nature or anything that lifts us to a place of joy and inspiration.

Applying action to your highest thoughts is also a demonstration to the universe as well as to yourself and others. This is an available coping mechanism that each and every one of us can use when things look grim.

The ability to demonstrate our most earnest thoughts and emotions into expression that actively communicates love, joy and peace to another or ourselves—this will ease angst and hold humanity together. So long as we hold it, together.

RoadMap to Coping
1- We’re all feeling stress, grief & fear from world happenings
2- We can’t burry our heads in the sand
3- How can we stay updated & compassionate w/o losing ourselves?
4- The answer isn’t just thinking positive, praying or donating
5- We must demonstrate hope, prayer, gratitude & generosity
6- When we demonstrate high vibrational thoughts, others light up & a domino effect begins
7- We can hold humanity together, when we hold it, together