What to Do When the World is On Fire
The world is on fire - literally and figuratively. Wildfires in the West, virtual school, a global pandemic, an election with the survival of our democracy at stake, the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg - our notorious hero - and the battle for her seat on the Supreme Court. 2020 is really...something.
It all feels sharp and pointy, and definitely like too much. You might find yourself alternating between grief, rage, exhaustion, hopelessness, and back to rage. I am too.
Our path seems uncertain and dangerous - like we’re hiking on a knife’s edge cliff and the rocks are loose and sliding.
So, what should we do? How do we get through this?
You might not like the answer.
We let go.
But what if we fall?
We might fall. Everything might collapse. It may get a lot shittier. That is a definite possibility.
Or
In letting go, we might let go of our fear, we might find our purpose, our steps might get surer if we relax into the sliding rocks. We might find a foothold.
It is all uncertain. The universe really, really wants us to understand that this year.
You are not in control, so stop trying to control. Let go into the uncertainty.
You know when you’re in the ocean and the waves are a bit big? What happens when you stand stiffly and try to use your strength against the wave, tightening all your muscles? You get pummeled. The ocean lets you know that waves are powerful. But what happens when you relax into the wave and move with it? You and the ocean become one. You ride the wave. It’s powerful and also soft.
I took a Qi Gong class this week (highly recommended, especially if you have insomnia) and the teacher mentioned that in the form of medicine she practices, fall is a time to let go. Nature reminds us of this - leaves are turning pretty colors and letting go from their trees, plants are dying back to focus on nurturing their roots over the winter, animals are preparing to let themselves relax into hibernation.
Letting go involves trust. Trust that you know where to step, trust that you can ride the wave, trust that you will wake up from hibernation, trust that you inherently know what to do. Trust that you will be okay.
Okay, but how do I let go? How do I trust?
I’m not going to lie; it’s hard. Christine Carter wrote a great article about uncertainty for Greater Good Magazine. She breaks it down into seven steps, which are essentially:
Stop trying to control and practice acceptance
Take care of yourself - create routines that sustain you like sleep, exercise and mindfulness
Stop doom scrolling; start practicing gratitude
Don’t believe your thoughts because they are often not true
Notice. Be present in the moment, and stay in the moment instead of worrying about the future or the past
Take responsibility for your life instead of thinking someone or a change in situation will rescue you
Find meaning and purpose in the uncertainty. What do you value most right now? What do you want to hold on to from this time?
Here’s the thing about letting go - it creates space. When you let go of your thoughts in meditation or through working with a coach, you create space in your mind. When you relax into a downward dog, you create space in your body. When you let go of wanting to control and wanting things to be certain, you create space in your entire nervous system.
When you create space, new things can come in - ideas, creativity, softness, and even joy. It’s a beautiful thing. And, my friends, those new ideas and that new creativity is how we stitch a new world together. Not stitch our world back together - we don’t want that world; it brought us 2020. Stitch together a NEW world; one that we build together. That’s what we are being called to do.
So, let go, find your prettiest, most sturdy thread and help me sew.
Reach out if you need help letting go. I practice all of these tools in my own life and I can teach them to you too. Email me to get in touch, set up some time to chat or PM me @pattyfirstcoaching on Instagram.