August 18, 2024
August brings the hottest days of the year in Texas, so it’s good to be past the halfway mark. We’ve gone from daily heat advisories to “Excessive Heat Warning.” This heat drains my energy in a short time, making me feel like the potted plants I’m trying to keep alive.
In contrast to the weariness of a Texas summer, I’ve noticed a new wave of energy rising in our country. It’s been a surprising shift from the heaviness and turmoil of the past decade. The collective consciousness seems to be choosing joy as a courageous response to this moment. Joy is energizing, uplifting and contagious. We’ve been dwelling in fear and anxiety for too long, wounded by the brokenness of our world. Joy offers a way out of darkness and despair, onto higher ground. It delivers hope and healing, which is what we all need about now.
As we raise our consciousness individually and collectively on this planet, we can overcome any obstacle and begin to create a world that works for everyone.
-Rev. Karen Wylie
It’s easy to feel like our individual work doesn’t make a significant difference, but we only see a fraction of the picture. Our thoughts, words, and actions go out into the world, producing more of the same. They touch others in ways we don’t know. As more and more people choose love, kindness, compassion, and joy, we eventually reach a tipping point, a turning point in humanity. Perhaps this is what we are beginning to see. It is clear that we are hungry for hope and healing. Our spirits need to be revived.
Are we finally willing to let go of the old ways of thinking that divided and wounded us?
Creating a world that works for everyone should not be controversial. Resistance to this idea comes from belief in competition, lack, and separation. What are we afraid of? That we will somehow have less if everyone has enough? The laws of the universe include the following: We reap what we sow; we receive as we give; and as we believe, so shall it be. Abundance mindset creates and attracts our good and spreads good to others.
We always attract into our lives whatever we think about most, believe in most strongly, expect on the deepest level, and imagine most vividly.
-Shakti Gawain
Joy raises our creative energy so that we can bring something new into the world. This is the essence of creation - it is life-giving. As we look fear and doubt in the eye, we have a choice. We can shift our gaze to joy, which is a radical act. When we do this, the sky opens up and we can breathe again.
Anne Lamott writes, “But all truth is really paradox, and this turns out to be a reason for hope. If you arrive at a place in life that is miserable, it will change, and something else about it will also be true. So paradox is an invitation to go deeper into life, to see a bigger screen, instead of the nice, safe lower left quadrant where you see work, home, and the country. Try a wider reality, through curiosity, awareness, and breath. Try actually being here” (Almost Everything).
This is an excellent time to pay attention, be present, take notes, pause, and go deeper. We are all a part of what’s happening, and we won’t want to sleep through it. It’s time to be fully awake and alive, open to surprises and nudges from the Universe. Vigilance is also important since fear will try to distract and deflate us. Hang a sign on the door of your soul: “Do not disturb,” so joy can fully inhabit and empower you.
Cheers,
ej
Elisa J. Juarez
Comments