Rise from the Fear and Shine your Light
Jennifer Schmid
I’ve rewritten the first sentence of this post so times.
I want to be sensitive with strength, not judgment.
I want to empower with love, not fear.
We are surrounded by so much fear. Isolating. Hiding. Hoarding. Blaming. Shaming.
It truly feels as if we are at war with ourselves. I can only imagine that this is what war must feel like, being told that everyone is the enemy. We are told to fragment away from each other like the tiny genetic strands of virus blamed for the mayhem. Who is infected? Contagious? Dangerous? Am I next?
The message is: Trust no one -- least of all, yourself.
The uncertainty and fear can be crushing, paralyzing. They attempt to asphyxiate. They demonize and polarize. They handcuff us to immobility. Don’t move. Don’t breathe. Be afraid. Go into the dark.
I refuse to stay in the dark.
This doesn’t mean wantonly forgetting about washing my hands, eating tubs of ice cream while binge watching CSI or engaging in harm-inflecting behaviors.
It means shining my light and love in whatever way I possibly can. It means using and sharing my gifts fully, regardless of how others judge me for them.
It means setting boundaries around the conversations I have, how I engage with the world and what I read. It means spending a LOT less time on social media and extra time feeding my soul and looking after my people.
It doesn’t mean that I don’t find myself feeling anxious or frightened at times. I absolutely do, and I am learning to navigate those moments with the tools that I have.
I am not powerless.
You are not powerless.
You can shine your light, too
Send a text or an email to someone you love. Better if you haven’t spoken to them for a while and it comes out of the blue.
Forgive someone. You don’t have to tell the person whom you are forgiving, but feel the release in your heart.
Say a prayer. I truly believe that we are surrounded by angels, and in order for them to help, we have to ask.
Listen to your favorite music. Dance to it. Sing to it. Have you seen the videos of the Italians singing together at night on their balconies? They are a glorious rebellion against the darkness.
Watch my love meditation.
Ask for help. Reach out for a lifeline. You are not alone.
Viruses are contagious. Fear is contagious.
LOVE IS CONTAGIOUS. Spread it around like it could save the world.
Because it just might.
Sending lots of love to you and yours,
Jennifer
I must stay conscious through the madness and chaos. ~Katie Perry (“Rise”)
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