While we continue to see with our eyes more than ever, the unbelievable continues to unfold all around us. You may feel that nothing could shock you anymore. You may slip up and go down that proverbial rabbit hole of anger, sadness, worry, fear, outrage, etc. I ask you to keep pulling yourself back and focusing on yourself and what/those you love. Even if you have to do it five times a day, ten times, 40 times. Just keep going. How do you overcome hard times in life?
I will not say we need to be resilient because there are more days than I care to admit that I sure do not feel resilient. The word resilient has become a fluff word to me, along with many others since this pandemic began.
We need to be exactly who, where, and what we are at any given moment. Sometimes that is really freaking hard….and that is OK.
This is the time to not be ok. This is the time to realize what is not working in our lives. This is the time to learn what relationships are only for a season. This is the time to figure out what is important and what you are willing to speak up about. This is the time to put yourself first, no matter what!
Keep your throat chakra healthy. Speak with kind compassion, but speak. The world needs you and your voice, now perhaps more than ever. Will others disagree? A resounding yes. That does not change a thing. The reaction does not change anything at all.
You do you, but in the doing of you, I ask you to always check in with yourself and ask, “Is this using my energy for something good, something to build on the life that I want…..or is this a donation of critical energy that I need.”
You may be surprised that by asking yourself this that you say a lot more than you need to, and give away much more energy than you realize.
I do it too.
My soul sister asked me to focus on this a while back, and while I feel a part of me should speak up for what I do not want to see, she helped me see that my energy is better spent on advocating for what I do want in this lifetime.
Does that mean I will never speak up? I chuckle as the first thing that comes to mind is something I often say to my kids out of playful sarcasm, ‘Have you met me?’ I try to make sure, however, that I give things extra thought before I speak….because when I am out of balance and my nervous system is frayed, I guarantee I will say more than I should.
Is this you too?
“Our job is not to change another’s opinion. That is never the goal of communication. The goal is to share differing beliefs to see another’s point of view. That piece of communication is often overlooked and the source of much agony.” -Leslie Moldenauer
Another focus, above all else, is to concentrate on what makes you happy. Focus on things that can feed your mind and body. What can we do to feel free, even if we struggle with that particular belief? That goes for any view. How can you focus on what you want in every situation?
Do I struggle? Hell yes. I only share things that I have either struggled with myself, worked through, and sometimes mastered. But we are in very hard times right now; therefore, we are all figuring out every day as we live it.
If agriculture is a concern for you, are you shopping locally? Are you supporting organic farmers?
If sustainability is a worry….how can you grow more of your food? Perhaps you can research companies to support other than the large ones supporting the opposite of what your beliefs are? Supporting small business is something I am working toward in 2021. By the end of the year, I hope to have eliminated Amazon shopping from my life. That is something positive that I can do with a very legitimate concern that I have.
This is but only one area of focus.
Did I wake up one morning and decide this is how I wanted to live in 2021? Nope. I talk about these things endlessly with a friend that I can say absolutely anything to and vise versa.
We all need a friend like that!
When we remove fighting for what we do not want with what we want, that removes worry, fear, and anger and replaces it with positive feelings. And that is the goal, even during times like this.
Look for a blog coming in the spring with all the notable companies I am beginning to support.
I make as many home remedies as possible so that I am ready for anything, literally. That helps me to take some of my power back.
Take your sovereignty back as often as possible. I suspect once you sit down and think about it, you will be surprised how much more you can do.
I am resting more than ever. Self-care is always top on my list, but I also spend time doing nothing. By nothing, I mean no electronics, no noises, nothing. That may look like meditation, while other times, it is a cup of tea in hand, daydreaming out the window.
True rest…
Do you have times where your inner mean girl/boy comes out to make you feel like you SHOULD be doing something, that choosing not to makes you ________ (insert your word of choice here).
You and I do NOT lack ambition. It is that we are freaking exhausted mentally, emotionally, and physically.
I expect you to be tired. I expect you to be wary. I would be genuinely shocked if you did not feel that way many times in a week, in a day, in an hour.
Our nervous system needs more time for genuine rest. Sleeping is not enough. Our parasympathetic nervous system needs to be activated more than its fight or flight counterpart (sympathetic).
Read here for ideas on how to do that.
We are not supposed to bear the weight of the world’s downward spiral. One good thing to hold on to is that 100% of the time, after something or someone hits rock bottom, the only way to go is up, upward to a better place, upward to healing, upward to learning new ways of being.
For me, that is being as self-sustainable as possible in all areas of my life and loving myself so hard that I inspire others to do the same.
We can heal despite the external.
I wish you healing, comfort, and above all, forgiveness,
xo Leslie
