In The Midst Of The Chaos, Remember To Hold Your Light Steady
There’s a dark cloud in the air. I’m sure you can sense it as well. Tension saturates every breath. You’ve lost more friends in the past few years than you have in your entire life.
People despise you for no apparent reason. They’re constantly attempting to bring you down. Grief and heartache are rampant globally, which has left an imprint on your psyche. You’ve abandoned all hope to these dark days.
Your priority is to keep the light, to fight for your innate sense of peace, empathy, and compassion. When your mind tries to discourage you, inspire yourself. Make an upbeat playlist and keep it on hand. Make a folder of your favorite quotes and save them to your home screen. Take photos of encouraging messages that you’ve been sent. Listen to the come up stories of others. Pray and reconnect with your faith. Speak with an advisor or a health professional to help you sort through the haze. Keep a pulse on your “why” for pushing forward and doing what you do. You must first rekindle your own light if you want to serve others. You need…
Deep rest
During heavy times you’re going to feel drained. Most often, this is when people seek you out more than ever. They’re going to be bleak, overwhelmed, and looking for support. Please remember that taking time to energize yourself isn’t unkind. You cannot give what you do not have to offer. A moment of deep rest will restore you. Rest isn’t only about sleeping. Rest is stretching your body instead of exercising vigorously. Rest is taking a break from scrolling social media. Rest is removing yourself from people and environments that lower your energy. Rest is about changing pace.
Clean eating
Food is more than fuel. It goes beyond calories and nutrients. Food has energetic properties that affect our moods. The polarity of foods suggests that everything in life has an opposite, including food. These opposites are either contractive or expansive. Alcohol, caffeine, and sugar are examples of expansive foods. These foods can make you feel happy and satisfied — blissful! However, eating too many “bliss” foods can make you feel spacey, foggy, or forgetful.
Salt, eggs, red meat, and other animal products are examples of “contractive” foods. These foods can help you feel rooted and centered, but eating too many of them can make you feel rigid, anxious, and even angry. Eating foods, fruits, vegetables, smoothies, or juices that are light on the stomach can help balance your mood by releasing tension.
Perform actions that align with your heart and values
Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort that happens when you hold two conflicting beliefs. For example, you believe in freedom of choice and boundaries, but also believe that your choice and boundaries don’t matter. When there’s a disconnect, you become emotionally tense. You can balance and hold your light when you do things that don’t conflict with your heart and values.
Remember, times are heavy, but you’re here for a reason. Your purpose is to remain kind though the world has been nothing but kind to you. You find moments of joy despite disaster all around. You’re a beacon of hope to yourself and others. When you feel your light flickering and threatening to grow dim, please remember to steady yourself and reset. Hold your light and hold it steady.