I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.
Whether from outrage (How can these things be happening?) or exasperation (Why can’t people just move on?), our country’s emotional temperature is at an all-time high – and it doesn’t look like it’s going to ease up anytime soon.
I worry how we as individuals and as a country are going to get through this and what we’ll have left when we get to the other side of it (whatever that may be).
After these past few weeks of intense emotions and high engagement, I feel like I’ve reached a tipping point. Or maybe I’m just tipping over. Either way, I know I need to find a way to stay engaged, but also to pace myself.
Lately the words: “Be Kind. Be Strong. Be Well.” have been echoing through my mind. Somehow this mantra helps to calm me down (sometimes); to discern which actions are the right ones for me to take; to keep my perspective about the larger picture; and yes, to be kind. (I’m trying to keep that one front and center.)
I’ve also been seeking out others who have been thinking about all of this. I found many helpful suggestions in
Arianna Huffington’s thoughtful piece, “How to Get Out of the Cycle of Outrage In a Trump World.” She writes about how we’re living in a state of “perpetual outrage” and that “this is no way to live.” Not only that, it’s also not effective for the long haul, even the short one. She writes:
“Because when we become depleted and exhausted, and sapped of our energy, we’re not as resourceful, creative, or effective. The goal of any true resistance is to affect outcomes, not just to vent. And the only way to affect outcomes and thrive in our lives, is to find the eye in the hurricane, and act from that place of inner strength.”
I think that’s true for all of us, whatever we are trying to resist. And I suspect it might be the best way forward for our country as well. If we come from a place of inner strength, we’re more likely to be able to listen to each other, find what we have in common, and hopefully find a way to come together. Maybe not now, maybe not for a long time…but somewhere down the line.
In her article, Adrianna quotes from the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius,
“People look for retreats for themselves in the country, by the coast, or in the hills. There is nowhere that a person can find a more peaceful and trouble-free retreat than in his own mind… So constantly give yourself this retreat, and renew yourself.”
She then offers nine very good suggestions on how to do this (well worth checking out) and asks us to share our own ideas.
My ideas are to take time to reflect on what matters in my life and work, show gratitude, and seek out moments of beauty, kindness and peace – and stay engaged.
These ideas are also at the heart of this website and its mission. By providing ways for you to share your stories, create a wave of gratitude for teachers, and by sharing photographs such as the one accompanying this post – I hope I am doing my small part to create a more peaceful, caring, and kind world.
How do you stay engaged? How do you take care of yourself? Share your ideas below.
If this website helps you to renew – please consider sharing it with others and subscribing to receive these posts directly in your inbox.
Those who subscribe during the month of February will be entered into a drawing for a copy of Teaching with Heart: Poetry that Speaks to the Courage to Teach autographed by Parker J. Palmer, Taylor Mali and Sarah Brown Wessling.
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