Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Being love when all the world's gone mad


I took a little break from writing last week. I needed a little time to go inside and think about all that was going on around me. So many people I meet are feeling hollowed out right now. They stare at me, wide-eyed and stunned, asking, “What is happening to our world?” 

Here, in the midst of what is a holy time, a time of family and friends and faith, of imagining and dreaming 2013 into being, it feels as if the switch keeps being thrown. One moment, pure joy and laughter. The next, the specter of war looming in yet another faraway country. A typhoon washing away thousands of lives. Shooting and deaths in a mall where I used to mindlessly shop and dine. A mass killing of children in Connecticut and a mass wounding of children in China. Incomprehensible. Sickening. Beyond tragic.

All our energy follows as we follow such events. So much anger. So much confusion. So much fear. So much grief. It is as if a tsunami of sorrow-filled reality has rolled across our planet and hit us all smack in the face, and we are afloat in its receding waters, which yet never seem to fully recede. 

It raises so many questions.

What can I DO? How do I BE with all of this? 

I now live daily with a finer awareness of the shadow of death. While I have always known our time was precious and short, and done my best to live life to its fullest, I understand now with a renewed precision that life and death are with me, in every breath, every day. It is no more or less true than it was before. It’s just as if it’s been highlighted in neon letters. I don’t choose to dwell on it in a moribund way. Instead, I accept this reality of our mortal coil, and see the opportunity to live even one moment of one day as an incredible gift for which I am incredibly grateful. And times like this make that awareness razor-sharp, that gratitude even deeper.

As I think about all these recent events, I choose to stay focused on one thing: creating the world as I would see it evolve around me. A world where we love each other, respect one another, care for each other, as one. A world where each of us is keenly aware of and acting from our infinite capacity to be kind and gentle, to ourselves and to everyone we meet. A world of peace. A world where we no longer feel completely at a loss in the wake of tragedy with no clue what to say other than, “I’m so, so sorry,” and instead naturally begin to find our way to our authentic connection, easily uttering what is really s for us, “I am moved with you. I grieve with you. I am hurting, as you are hurting. I am at your side in this suffering, and together, we will walk through this.” A world where we recognize that we are a blessing to one another, no matter our religion or faith, or lack thereof, and as such, can make our words and gestures to others reflect the blessing we are. A world where we all can simply be the presence of love in every moment of every day. 

To quote John Lennon, “You may say I’m a dreamer. But, I’m not the only one.”

It is critical to realize that what we think about, what we believe, we are dreaming into being. We set it in motion with every whisper of a thought, every breath of a wondering. We are powerful co-creators of this reality play.

So, my wish during what often feel like such strange and uncertain times is that we will all see these are also wonderful and amazing times. Yes, there is tragedy, but too, there are such depths of hope and love. Such outpourings of desire to connect and support and love one another through it all. 

My wish is that we will lean into this. That we will take it upon ourselves to dream the world into being as we would have it be. My urging is that we honor all that we feel, engage with it as we feel it, and then actively allow the thought forms that no longer serve us, like despair and fear, to take a backseat to those which will serve us better now. 

Life is so short. Live every moment as you would have it be in your best possible dreaming. Come from a place of love and courage. Make every moment a little brighter and better for yourself and for those you come in contact with. You have the capacity to create miracles every day. You have the capacity to be a blessing upon every person you meet with just a kind word and a smile. Reach into your infinite soul, take a small pull on your wellspring of wisdom and compassion, and walk in light. For in doing so, you create an umbrella of love that will be a shelter to all those around you during the stormy times, warming their hearts and minds, and relieving their suffering. Let it be done with ease. Do not make it hard. Just be who you naturally are, allow your authentic self to shine through with love and compassion. You may be surprised at how gently and beautifully all that has seemed so impossible will begin to fall into place.

I wish you all so much joy, love and peace as the year comes to a close. 

1 comment:

  1. Laura, Can i just say that you are the most inspiring, kick cant sir warrior I have ever met?! For those new to this blog - prepare to be awe-Inspired! This lady really has a grip on what life is all about and how to live it with full grace and dignity and IN THE MOMENT!
    Love you Laura.
    Dee

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