Keeping Your Sanity

Today’s Dilemma

 
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. - Attributed to Edmund Burke

"Everything feels so wrong." "I can't bear to watch the news." "I don't know what to do." I can't count the number of times I have heard these handwringing sentiments these last weeks.
 
This collective reaction is understandable. Weapons of mass distraction (WMDs) are designed to provoke this response by diverting your attention while consuming and overwhelming you. This strategy is referred to as "flooding the zone." It is intentional and targeted. It constitutes a calculated razzle-dazzle smoke-and-mirrors display of force aimed at exhausting you and quashing dissent by fostering apathy, nihilism and cynicism. It leads to thoughts as "There's nothing I can do" and "I can't make a difference." And who hasn't fallen prey to these thoughts recently?
 
There is no sugarcoating it: we are in a monumental struggle. It may seem like an extreme political power play but it's considerably more significant. Beneath the endless debate about policies, economics, religion and culture, something more profound is unfolding - this is a spiritual reckoning.
 
Spiritual avatars, teachers, enlightened leaders and the scientific community agree on the sacred truth that we (and our planet) are one; what affects one of us affects us all. In essence this means there is no "us and them." We are all cogs in the vast machinery of the universe that operates according to the sacred and neutral laws of mathematics. It's insanity to think anyone has superior status and certain people hold special privileges.
 
Many have compromised their integrity, ignored their conscience and ditched discernment to listen to false promises that somehow, as the chosen ones, will work to their advantage. Feeling entitled, going it alone , destroying everything and everybody in the way will never work long term. The truth is always simple: when we empower others, it empowers us. When we take from others, it weakens us. In the words of the late Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools”. As we witnessed, manipulating the truth with fake news is surprisingly easy; challenging sacred law is a doomed strategy destined to fail.
 
As we study history it powerfully reminds us of centuries of failed attempts by men to elevate themselves above sacred law. Empires rise and fall. We build up; we tear down. We progress; we regress and the cycle of insanity continues. You may think these unprecedented times but observing the past shows there is nothing new under the sun. The same tired playbook, different context: excessive greed, divide and conquer, oppression, discrimination, propaganda—the list goes on.
 
That said, there is something unique today that reveals a great deal about the state of our humanity. Instead of marginalized voices advocating peace and justice, millions have transitioned beyond primitive tribal thinking. Instinctual survival laws no longer dictate our actions. It doesn't feel right to thrive at the expense of others any more than it feels right to dump toxic waste in the river; we want to live in peace on a healthy planet with justice that includes everyone. The current trajectory feels so wrong that it has left us reeling. We can't believe that after all the hard-fought progress, many want to reverse course and erase it all: Democracy, Human Rights, History, Education, Healthcare, Science...the list is endless.
 
So we all have a mission. We must participate; if we don't, we are complicit. The big question is how to stay sane, be informed and contribute in a way that will make a difference?
 
It's important to remember that you are not alone.
 
Don't take things personally. Understand that the attack is in the collective and if the collective is broken, you become a part of the problem and add to the chaos.
 
Don't allow yourself to become depleted. Understand that you cannot change others but you can manage your reactions to them.
 
Accept where we are. Don't waste precious energy on wishing things were different.
 
Maintain your balance and equilibrium. Don't let fear and anxiety take over. Being in a state of hyper-vigilance harms your health as much as succumbing to paralysis.
 
You are not powerless. Never think there's nothing you can do. There's always something you can do. Even the most minor actions matter, right down to a smile in the grocery aisle. With every interaction and choice, you can create a safe space for someone, including yourself.
 
Whenever you have the opportunity, empower others. A rising tide floats more boats.
 
Assess your needs and concerns and advocate strategically. Get informed about what you can do and then operate at that level. Use your resources, expertise, interests and experience. Get into what the late Congressman John Lewis called "good trouble." Don't obsess over what you can't do.
 
Avoid futile conversation, viewing, scrolling and commentary. Social media is full of posts like "I'm apoplectically angry right now!" This is not productive and wastes precious time. Acting out your emotions damages you and upsets those around you.
 
No one knows what the future holds but inevitably all things pass. Take heart that change is assured, actions have consequences, what we reap we sow and the cycle of today’s events is swifter than any time in history.
 
Above all these times are a call to action for all of us. I'm sure none of us want to look back with regret. We have the gift of choice to participate and make a difference. What a privilege to be here now at such a moment in history. Be vigilant and don't let the darkness consume you. Never give your power away. Never forget that you are a powerful and vital resource in this struggle.

Together we are strong and the world needs our precious light to shine its brightest now.