Pretty much everyone I speak to is having to confront their deepest fears these days. We are being hit from all sides. The underlying theme in most of these situations is that of loss and grief. There is loss in relationships, jobs, health, finances, familiar social structures and perhaps, worst of all, basic trust and faith in that which we thought was true.
We are being stripped down to face ourselves and our lives in ways that can make us question everything and everyone. We are seeing erratic, irrational, cruel, manipulative and dishonest behavior on the part of authority figures and those who we thought were meant to protect us and keep us safe. Relationships of all kinds–personal and professional– are falling apart and leaving an unexpected void to be filled.
What are we to make of this and how do we move through it without completely, and perhaps permanently, closing our hearts due to the immense sadness and grief?
This is a time of reckoning. A time for deep self-reflection and decision making. We need to ask ourself how we want to proceed.
It can be so easy to shut down to one’s feelings and simply avoid, deny and go numb. There are countless ways to numb out found in our endless electronic devices, mind altering substances–including food and sugar, or any other addiction of choice. If you are going there in your life, it is understandable, but it is not a sustainable choice.
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