Thoughts on Healing in the Aftermath

True Confession: Last night, I handled my heartbreak in the most awesomely adult way possible. I curled up on the bed in a fortress made of stuffed toy animals and just sat with my sad feelings for a while. Inside my soft, safe, quiet space I cried for the victims of yet another senseless terror attack. I cried for the unrelated loss of yet another cultural icon and music legend. I cried for the divide among people around the world who are more interested in defending their positions than in engaging in helpful dialogue to address our very real problems. After letting myself feel the full weight of the world’s pain and letting the tears flow like prayers from my heart, I got back up and resolved to take action.

Loves, if you are a positive & sensitive person like me, I know that some days you feel weary and beat up by the tragic events of the world. You get physically and emotionally tired of the seemingly constant stream of bad news and people arguing about their different views. You may feel the need to retreat from it all (news, social media, other people) for a little while, and I want to let you know that is totally okay. In fact, it’s a good thing to give yourself space to emotionally recover so that you can get back to being a bright, clear light of peace & healing. You can give yourself permission to take a time out!

Try this: For a few hours, turn off the news channels, log off of Facebook, Twitter, Reddit or any other social bullhorn. If you can stay offline for 24 hours or longer, that’s even better. Give yourself enough time and space as you need.

Connect your bare feet and hands with nature, talk to the trees, listen to the water. Count the stars. Meditate, stretch, dance. Pray, paint, sing. Play with puppies and kittens. Eat healthy and bathe luxuriously. Dream up your most perfect day…

And then, once you are feeling lighter and clearer again, do take action to create a positive ripple.

Try one or more of these positive actions: Hug and kiss your loved ones. Say a silent prayer or kind thought for each person you see. Let someone go in front of you at the grocery store. Secretly pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru. Send a small monthly donation to a humanitarian organization. Donate blood. Pick up trash in your neighborhood or along your favorite stretch of beach. Give all of the clothes that no longer fit your body to your local thrift store or homeless shelter. Tip your server more than 20%. Leave a kind note for an elderly neighbor. Send a text message to your friends with a smiley face emoji.

What else can you do that is a positive action? Use your voice!

Contact your representatives in Congress and thank them for their work, and let them know you want them to act on your behalf to support legislation that is important to you. Speak clearly and with kindness (that is a real person you are talking to). Call and use your voice. 202.225.3121

💖🦋