I live by an Abundance Mentality and for the most part this has served me well; the belief that there is enough for everyone on the planet. However, this belief has been seriously challenged in recent weeks by those who live by a Scarcity Mentality, and I’m fast coming to the conclusion that an Abundance Mentality might only work best when everyone lives by it, because lately it seems there’s not enough of anything other than fear. It hits me in the face every time I walk into a store. Every empty shelf screams FEAR.
And I’m not doing so well. So I wanted to know how you’re doing.
When I voice my feelings I’m told that everyone feels the same way. However I can’t help but think that for some of us it’s worse than others. Some of us are getting on in years. Some of us have a disability or chronic illness, or a loved one who is elderly or living with a chronic illness. Some of us have clinical depression, stress or anxiety, or we’ve had it in the past and we’re noticing those familiar early warning signs, the body’s way of telling us that something’s not quite right.
Some of us are Empathic by nature, we feel what others feel. And some of us are Creatives. I think this season can be particularly difficult for Creatives if we’re not careful. Creatives look at the world through their senses. Every sight, smell, sound, touch and taste is connected and interpreted directly through the heart.
The heart that shows you every tiny detail and nuance in everything beautiful, is the same heart that shows you every tiny detail and nuance in everything ugly.
And right now my heart is seeing more ugly than beauty.
And I can’t keep functioning like this.
The other day I was washing blankets and mid cycle my washing machine started making horrible noises before it suddenly stopped. It was out of balance. I had to open it up, rearrange the blankets and it was good to go. I feel like I’m a washing machine (I told you I was MAD 🙂 ). My heart is out of balance, carrying the heaviness of fear and uncertainty, which is trampling hope and peace. I need someone to open up my heart, move the heavy stuff over and allow the hope and peace to balance things out again.
Balance.
So the first thing I did was delete FB off my phone. It’s on my desktop, but that’s not always with me like my phone, I can’t keep referring to it. So I’m not constantly reading about Covid. And I can tell you that after two days of update detox, I’m feeling lighter already.
The next thing I did was change my alarm setting. Instead of setting it to 6:15 so that I could wake up in time for the news, I’ve set it for 6:27, so hubby wakes up in time but I sleep right through it. This is a WIN WIN, I don’t start my day off with bad news AND I get an extra 15 mins sleep in the morning.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sticking my head in the sand. This is about focus, not denial.
Have you ever noticed that when you spend long hours glued to your PC or phone, that it takes a while for your eyes to focus when you lift your gaze? There are strategies we can employ to help maintain healthy vision. One of these is to change focus at least every 45 minutes. That is, take your eyes off the screen, look up, look around and look out.
So if this simple exercise of changing focus can help us physically, how much more so when it comes to the heart?
Look Up.
Look Around.
Look Out.
Looking Up, for me, is about going back to the Source of my spirit, my God. While I don’t believe in a Heaven that is up in the sky, rather, I believe in a Heaven that is in another dimension, beyond the veil, Looking Up is very symbolic when we refer to God. So for me, looking up is about looking toward my triune God. The Mother/Father Creator who will never forget me. The human deity in Jesus who’s life modeled how to navigate the fear and hardship which are part of this imperfect world. And the promise that we would never be alone, thanks to the Spirit, who is sent to support and guide us.
So I hold onto that promise, the promise that says “Do not fear, I will be with you always”.
Looking Up makes Faith stronger.
Looking Around. This has been a major source of anxiety over this past week as I’ve been soaking up the sadness and anxiety in others’ stories. Stories of cancelled dreams, lost opportunities, financial hardship, illness, inability to source daily medications and food, aggression, racism etc. Initially it threatened to cripple me.
But then I kept looking. And I started seeing something else. Little acts of kindness, of selflessness. And every small act, every positive word, was a whisper of reassurance, that there are still good humans around, not all have succumbed to the Zombie Apocalypse of fear. It’s still safe out there.
Looking Around makes Hope stronger.
Looking Out, for me, is about distance – looking forward, backward, or both. When I told my friend what I was feeling, she asked me what strategies I had used in the past to help me get through. As I thought about the strategies and activities I engaged in that had brought me peace back then, I realised I wasn’t implementing them now. Reading, writing, coffee dates with friends, long walks along the beach, watching the sunset, private meditation with God. All these activities bring me Peace just by thinking about them, but I don’t remember the last time I watched the sunset, felt the sand between my toes, or sat for a while on the beach and just breathed in the Spirit. Self care goes out the window when things start to get hectic. By Looking Out, looking forward, planning time into my schedule to engage in these activities of self care, I’m allowing myself time to just step off the world for a while and re calibrate.
Looking Out brings Peace
Faith. Hope. Peace.
Three perfect antidotes to Fear.
How are you doing? What strategies are working for you? I’d love to hear from you.
About the Author
SARINA ELDER
Sarina is a Writer with a passion for Making A Difference (MAD).
As a first generation Australian who struggled with cultural identity as a child, Sarina understands the importance of Being, Belonging, and Becoming as a fundamental need in all of us, regardless of age.
As a misunderstood Creative, who was diagnosed with ADHD in her adult years, Sarina is particularly passionate about supporting others to identify and release their Creative, or the Creative in their children, and to embrace the Neurodiversity that accompanies Creativity.
Sarina believes the best way to embrace ourselves is through laughter, and is open to sharing her own stories with the hope of encouraging others.