Grounded Amid the Sway
By Cara Chang Mutert
It’s one of those really fresh summer mornings after a day of steady rain has washed away the heat. The air feels clean, the sky is extra blue, and the leaves on the trees are an even brighter green than usual, moving freely in the wind, plump with new life after a deep soaking, replenished for yet another new day.
Every day we have an opportunity to wake up the same way.
A lot has changed over the past few years, in myself, in my life, in our country, and in our world. It’s been a surreal whirlwind of significant swings in almost every aspect of the sociopolitical and economic climates, resulting in unnerving instability that has many of us feeling like we’ve just stepped off the tilt-a-whirl: dizzy, nauseous, unbalanced, with an undeniable need to sit down and re-adjust.
It’s been hard. All of it.
No one can predict what will come next, and that makes it all even harder. Anxiety in a nutshell. The thought of the chasm growing wider, the division becoming deeper, people getting angrier, and the confusion getting worse is well, honestly terrifying.
Remembering what worked in the past, our unwillingness to let go, our suppositions of what went wrong and what could or should have been offer the perfect recipe for depression. Been there. Trying not to do that again.
As the years pass, and I grow older, I’m learning that although the difficulties in life may change, the way I feel in any given moment still depends on me. If I can find ways to shift out of negative thinking, personal and global doomsday scenarios and hyper focusing on the things I currently have no control over, at least the next moment can be a little easier.
It’s a daily effort to move beyond the uncontrollable forces that can affect my mindset and continue to function as a productive human being, fulfilling my responsibilities, my duty to my family and community, and continuing on the journey, trusting it will take me where I am meant to be.
When the powers that be create setbacks large and small, it can hit us like a tidal wave. When anger, blame, and accusations start to fly, I have found that downshifting gears completely is helpful. Taking a step back, breathing deeply, and using the tools we have learned to cope to stay grounded and focused does work. It takes effort and mindfulness to be sure, but it is possible. Stay focused on maintaining your own internal balance, lean on others for support, and in turn, that may give you the strength to allow others to lean on you.
As we continue to process the effects of the often sickening tilt-a-whirl reality we have found ourselves in, for me, finding gratitude for all that is good is what continues to fuel me. It gives me the strength to choose to travel on, stand strong, and accept what life brings.
Like the crisp, glimmering leaves gently swaying in the breeze, if we can infuse a little of that same feeling of movement, fluidity, and rejuvenation into our hearts and minds each day, this day just might glisten with a little hope too.