Many of you have shared with us the anxiety and host of other emotions the presidential election brought up for you. We’d like to offer a perspective.
Moments like this are an invitation to grow deeper by facing the truth— both the truth of our own emotional life and the truth of reality around us— with love, awareness, and compassion.
The truth is that grace is still sustaining us, the Divine pulse of the universe is still flowing. And, at the same time, we invite you to welcome all of your thoughts and feelings!
“All is always well, even when it seems unbelievably unwell” -Adyashanti
Take a moment right now to get in touch with your body and your breath. Allow whatever feelings are present. If they are intense and you feel strongly activated, please find a private place to release them by shaking, screaming, dancing— whatever wants to happen. Remember to always have your healthy self present as you lovingly encourage these emotions to release.
Then, find something to be grateful for, no matter what. There are so many signs of grace in our lives at any moment. Allow yourself to see it, to appreciate it. There is no greater remedy and no better prayer than gratitude.
Invite yourself to be in this present moment, with what is.Whatever happens to us, the only path to any mature growth is to embrace reality and turn towards it. To choose it.
Grace always lies in the reality of what is and growth always lies in choosing to be with reality.
Notice how the survivor/defended self may come into play. Perhaps a wound is triggered by the months of animosity we’ve endured as a country or the election itself. Keep a loving and conscious eye on the Survivor Self and Wounded Self. There might be a great temptation to get carried away from your healthy self into the collective lure of “us vs. them” divisive thinking.
In a very public and rough campaign like the one that just completed, public figures— consciously or unconsciously— invite our projections. We invite you now to take them back – both the positive and the negative. Hillary isn’t golden Mom and Donald isn’t shadow Dad. Or vice versa, depending on your political persuasions.
We invite you to come back to your mature adult self, and your own unique connection to Grace.
“Be the change you want to see in the world” –Gandhi
Life continues to be an invitation. Grace is abundantly available. In fact, everything, including this election is grace inviting us to our growth, and to become a more effective agent of positive change in the world.
How can we be more effective at healing divisions and promoting understanding? How can we be compassionate towards what may seem completely opposed to our way of thinking, and still stand up for what we believe in?
Once those emotions of anger, anxiety, and despair have been faced, felt and released, let’s engage with our world, especially with who and what seems opposed to us, with love and compassion. We promise you the change you want to see in the world is more likely to happen that way.
Life continues to go differently than we thought it would here at COB too. We’d hoped to share the big announcement with you regarding the future of COB. We had a surprise of our own.
So, we’ll need another week to bring you the good news. Stay present and stay tuned!
