Spiritual Toolbox: Comfort and Medicine for Uncertain Times
In my own life, and in the lives of people I know, time seems to be moving swiftly, and it’s accompanied by lots of change, both personally and collectively. Frankly, at times, the pace is a bit much for me. I barely get settled before the next wave comes in, disrupting my assumptions, my routine and my security.
Granted, I work for myself. Uncertainty goes with the territory of being self-employed. What I'm talking about is bigger than that. It's that feeling that life is spinning out of control, and that our normal decisions pale in comparison with extreme weather, the threat of war and the fear of not being safe.
On top of that, many people are confronting major health issues, marriages crumbling, aging/dying parents, adult children unable to leave the nest, job dissatisfaction, major moves to new cities and countries, loneliness...and the list goes on.
What to do?
In my experience, the best approach is to stay present with what is without resistance. Getting all caught up in a mental spin only makes things worse. Instead, when my fear wakes me up in the middle of the night demanding I focus on what is wrong or missing or problematic in my life right now, I remember my spiritual toolbox. I reach in and access breathing techniques and soothing prayers, along with anything else I find including EFT, guided hypnosis, affirmations, visualizations, gratitude lists, inspirational reading—anything that helps me connect with the bigger picture of who I am. By the time I've used a couple of these tools, my heart rate is back to normal, and I'm able to go back to sleep.
Filling up your spiritual toolbox takes time, yet it is well worth the investment of time, practice and cultivation. The trick is to invest in it before you need it, so that when life hits the panic button you’re prepared, and you can access a toolkit that’s overflowing with tools you've used, tested and had some degree of success with over time.
Think of it as your emotional disaster preparation kit.
I promise you that it works. I'm living proof of that. In fact, it's the only way I've been able to move through all of the changes and uncertainty I've experienced in my life.
There are no magic bullets, shortcuts or secrets that can accomplish the same thing. Believe me, I've looked. All of the most basic tenets of the spiritual path: acceptance, surrender, presence, compassion, kindness and love are more than just good ideas—they are actual tools—ways of being—that you can use for navigating life. It took some painful life lessons before I really understood this and began integrating these principles into my life as part of my daily spiritual practices. That’s when I experienced their true value.
The outcome of all of that is that now I know with certainty that peace and comfort are accessible even when I'm anxious or terrified, or when nothing makes sense.
Learning to self-soothe is wonderful medicine.
It's free.
It can be accessed anytime, anywhere.
It works.
It's great for your health.
It connects you with your inner strength.
It's not dependent on mood-altering substances, other people or material objects.
It gets stronger the more you use it.
It shifts your perspective.
All the side effects are positive.
But don't take my word for it. Try it for yourself.
Perhaps someday these tools will become a natural part of everyday life for all of us. Or even better, maybe we’ll eventually live in a world that won’t require such tools. That is my deepest hope and prayer for us all.
In the meantime, however, we can create peace right where we are.
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