Upholding yourself in crazy times

I was asked to write something about how you don't get completely down on yourself in these strange times. No matter which side of the political spectrum you're on, it's sometimes difficult to remain calm amidst the chaos. Many think that being ''awake'' immediately means that you don't care. The opposite is true. Once you realize how the game on global scale is played, it can sometimes feel like nothing or no one can be trusted and everything is falling apart. The phrase ''look how good we still have it'' quickly bugs you, which in turn leads to misunderstanding from those around you. Comments like ''how can you be so negative?'' and ''have the conspiracy theories gone to your head?'', in turn create an additional sense of loneliness. Of course, we all have times when we think: ''I'll live in my own bubble for a while and go do something lighthearted.'' That's normal and even healthy. But as with anything, it's important not to get stuck in this negativity. Charging yourself is healthy and even shows strength. You know when the limit is reached and grant yourself rest, out of self-love. Staying stuck in negativity, however, ensures that you drain yourself. I often hear in my environment that they are ''at the end of their ropes'' or ''that it doesn't matter anyway''. This is a shame, because the people who understand what is really happening behind the scenes globally are desperately needed and can only contribute to positive change if they stay empowered. If you want a more beautiful world, then you have to set a good example by actually living what you stand for. Unfortunately, just knowing how to do it is not enough; you have to actively contribute, so that your fire lights new fires in others. Of course, this is not always easy. We all have moments where we've had enough from time to time.

So how do you make sure you don't drown in the negativity of the news we're constantly being bombarded with? A quick solution, of course, is to turn off the TV, stop watching alternative news and go do something else for a while. Just be in your own bubble. Go into nature, pray or meditate. This is the answer I got from most people when asked how they deal with this. But when I started thinking more deeply about this subject, I realized that there's something else you can do to protect yourself from the turmoil. Something that goes deeper than just influencing everyday things.

And that is, hold on, that you start thinking about why you were born. I know, this sounds heavy, but it's important. Most of us realize by now that we were not born to be told how the world works until we are 25, to then work their butt off from 9-5 until they are 67, all without being allowed to ask questions. Oh yes, and if you have some free time you spend it watching TV, because you are exhausted.

No, by now many of us know that's not what life is about. Yes we are here to work, but that work I'm talking about is much more important than the 9-5 job we're all being groomed for in school. It's about spiritual work: you are here to do a certain task. Some call it their soul mission, others the purpose of their existence, or the task given to them by God. It doesn't make much difference. The important thing is to know that there is a spiritual existence from which we come and to which we return. We are here temporarily and for a purpose; part of that is experiencing life and growing.

So what is part of that experience? Among other things, duality: light and dark. We as infinite beings learn that darkness exists, how it works, how to deal with it and ultimately that light and dark are one and therefore an illusion.

What does this have to do with upholding yourself? Simple: the bad things in the world unfortunately happen anyway, whether you know about them or not. That doesn't make it any less sad, but it can cause a change in your perspective. The fact is, we live in a world where darkness exists. The people who are aware of this have often lived a life where they were constantly the odd man out. They feel different and don't understand why. Now a time has come when the loose pieces of the puzzle from our past are merging together. We begin to see why our lives always felt so different from others. This is something we can draw strength from; by looking at the big picture. If you have an old film roll and you look at just one fragment, you will never understand what the whole movie is about. For that you need to know all the fragments. It's the same with a period in our lives or sometimes even one lifetime. Life has beautiful and less beautiful moments. The same applies the other way around: the moments in our lives that are beautiful and inspiring are often only temporary. Life moves in waves and everything is perishable. This also goes for the difficult moments! Be aware that if things are tough, this will pass, just like all the other moments in life. Remind yourself of the periods in your life that were hard and that you got through! Chances are, in the moment, you also thought that you wouldn't be able to handle it. But you're still here, and probably stronger than ever before. Give yourself those credits and remind yourself of them when new difficulties arise.

So, it's important to keep looking at the big picture in moments when you're feeling down. You can do that by turning off the TV and going for a walk. Try to think about the beauty and mystery of life, and that we're just a small cog in the giant wheel of the universe. One that we cannot possibly understand with our human abilities. But we are guided and protected by forces beyond our comprehension. And every moment of every life contributes to our wonderful story as humankind.

Love,

Joelle

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)