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You never know what someone’s going through…
We’re each dealing with our own personal stories. Generational trauma weighs heavily on our shoulders.
Everyday, we’re doing our best to manage stress, heal the past and move forward with as much ease as possible.
Then, there are the collective stories that can deeply affect us too. We constantly hear more news of injustice and violence, natural catastrophes, hatred and countless tragedies.
The world can indeed seem like a somber place. We may feel a sense of hopelessness about the future of humanity.
As an EFT Tapping Practitioner, I hear stories of abuse, neglect and trauma daily. Several clients have asked me, “How do you stay positive with all the bad things happening in the world?”
So I thought I’d share my perspective from taking frequent walks through the fires of hell. May these tips help you maintain a positive and hopeful mindset amidst the chaos.
How to stay positive in a troubled world
It seems necessary to start with letting yourself feel whatever emotions arise.
Whatever you feel is valid, always. Even if it doesn’t make sense.
But if you’re like me, tuning into your emotions all the time can get overwhelming. Us sensitive souls need other ways to cope to avoid imploding!
It’s not enough to imagine a white bubble of light around ourselves. And we can withdraw into our caves only for a while before life calls us to re-emerge.
Over the years, I observed that the more I heal my emotional baggage, the more peaceful I feel amidst negativity. My heart feels full with compassion for myself and others because I’ve faced my own shadows (and continue to do so).
Embracing the entire spectrum of light and shadow, yin and yang, is key to creating peace of mind.
Several of the most dramatic breakthroughs happened when I confronted the parts of myself that are capable of hatred and destruction. I cried through my regret and grief from the times I had harmed others.
Oscar Wilde wrote, “Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.” This quote gave me the courage to forgive myself for my wrongdoings.
I did my best to make amends. My immense suffering had pushed me to lash out at others. It shocked me that despite wanting to do good in the world, I was capable of greatly hurting others.
So I wondered, “Is it possible that people who hurt others on a much bigger scale are also coming from a place of pain?” Perhaps I was comparing apples to oranges, but it still made me curious…
What if we were a little kinder to ourselves? Extend kindness to loved ones and strangers.
Welcome your shadows to make room for the light.
Taking responsibility for our part
My self-compassion eased my breathing. The inner critic calmed down.
Treating myself more gently helped me tap into love and generosity.
“The way you alchemize a soulless world into a sacred world is by treating everyone as if they are sacred, until the sacred in them remembers.” —Unknown
Psychologist Carl Jung asserted that we each have personal shadows that contribute to the collective shadow.
When I first read this, I thought, “What?! Is he saying that it’s my fault there are starving children in the world?”
Now I know it’s much more complex than that. But the concept stretched me at the time, especially when I learned that all of nature—which includes us—is interconnected.
The scarcity mindset is indeed a global phenomenon. I saw how my financial worries and never feeling “enough” possibly contributed to the widespread lack in the world.
It goes without saying that acknowledging our role doesn’t let people in power off the hook. In an ideal world, everyone would take responsibility for their part. We need positive social and political action.
And whether we’re responsible or not, we can protest, sign petitions, help others, donate to charity and speak up for those who are voiceless.
In Living in the Light, author Shakti Gawain invites us to visualize the change we desire and adopt an intriguing perspective:
“If the world is our mirror, then whatever we see out there in some way reflects what is in us. We must take responsibility for it and be willing to transform it within ourselves if we want to see it change on the outside.
So, when we look at the world and see poverty, pain, violence and chaos, we must be willing to say to ourselves, ‘What is the poverty, pain, violence and chaos within me that this is reflecting?’”
Finding injustice in her hips
I began playing with this idea and transmuting the parts of me that resonated with the negativity out there.
Surprisingly, I often had a personal story that echoed my fear about certain injustices in the news. And I clearly witnessed similar effects in sessions with clients.
Recently, one of my clients arrived feeling distressed about the United States’ support of Israel. She couldn’t believe our democracy would allow these horrors and feared what the future would hold.
She already did her best to inform those around her and sign numerous petitions. But my client couldn’t shake off the shock and disappointment.
So I asked her, “What part of you resonates with this issue?” I shared the idea that perhaps the conflict in Gaza is activating a part of her that wants to be integrated.
As we used EFT Tapping on her various feelings about the issue, she observed that she felt angry about the injustice toward Palestinians. I asked my client where she felt the anger in her body. She said it was in her hips.
And as we tapped on the anger in her hips, my client had an aha moment… The anger she felt towards the US and oppressors in Gaza echoed her anger about her family. The abuser in her family had free rein to take advantage of the innocent and no one ever protested.
My client was stunned. She understandably exclaimed, “I’d never compare the Palestinians’ experience with my own!”
But for some reason, once we released more layers around her family, she also felt the anger and powerlessness dissipate from her hips.
She felt much lighter.
Her personal story was no longer tied to the conflict in Gaza.
She could now think clearly, channel her anger into motivation and help others more effectively.
Personal and planetary healing
So, where are you placing your energy?
Notice which social, political and environmental issues trigger an emotional reaction in you. How do they reflect your personal issues, fears and beliefs?
As we heal and evolve our personal stories, the transformation inevitably ripples out into the world.
We can pick one charity, one activity, one random act of kindness. For example, it fills me with joy to invest in women entrepreneurs around the world by lending microloans through a nonprofit called Kiva.
Focus on the good and express gratitude as much as possible. It’s too easy to focus on the negative, especially with our constant exposure to fear-based media. Consider limiting your media consumption.
We have so much potential for transformation. Celebrate how far you’ve come on your journey. And make time for stillness to nourish yourself.
Just do your part. It’ll be good enough.
It’s time to wake up to our inner power.
Want some free support?
I’m offering free EFT Tapping sessions in exchange for a short interview via Zoom.
I enjoy connecting with other women and learning about their challenges related to confidence, boundaries and relationships.
In the first 15 minutes, I’ll ask questions like “How did you discover me?” for new content ideas. In the last 15 minutes, you’ll get an EFT session to feel calm and clear. (Yes, things can shift that quickly.)
This offer isn’t a discovery call, where we discuss my paid services. It’s a fun opportunity to connect and support each other!
If you feel inspired to work with me, we can book a free call to make sure we’re a good fit.
I look forward to connecting with you!
Further reading to stay positive in a chaotic world:
Thank you so much Annie for such a potent way of dealing with truth and facing ourselves, offering ourselves the opportunity to take care of ourselves and reach out in some way. Grateful. x
My pleasure, Liz! It’s one of the most liberating ways I’ve found to shift from hopelessness to empowerment about negative world events. Then, the external actions we take become much more effective. Thank you for reading my blog article and sharing your thoughts. x