By Kasey Hall, MA, LPCC
I have been thinking about what it means to not grow disheartened. To be sure, this is easier said than done. In current times we are living with a global climate crisis, decline in the world’s animal populations by an average of 70%, domestic political polarization and four major wars going on in the world. This is not an easy time to be light hearted.
And yet, now more than ever it is necessary that we evolve. That we come to grips with what it means to be human. That we seek peace. That we intentionally decide to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem. To be a part of the solution we must not succumb to the mind sucking drama of fear, worry and hostility displayed on the television set each evening. We must each look inside ourselves to find the peace that is possible only from the inside out.
To gain perspective it can be helpful to back up a few steps, take our nose off the grind stone, and survey the greater picture. If we could take enough steps back and could look at our whole planet from the outside, we might then remember some mind altering good news. We are the only planet in our solar system, or in our entire galaxy for that matter, that we know for sure has the right conditions for life. Water, an atmosphere, and just the right size so that earth neither becomes a gas giant, nor looses too much heat and ices over. We are the exact, right distance from the sun so that we neither burn up nor freeze to death. How did we get so lucky? One might wonder.
Do you ever stop and think about how existence itself is a miracle. Just take a moment and notice being conscious. Is it not amazing that you are here to notice it? Is it not incredible that you exist? How can this be? It is a miracle of impossible proportions that you sit here reading this and yet here you are.
From this zoomed out point of view, it is a no brainer that there is nowhere else I would rather be in this universe than on planet earth (my opinion!). The exquisite beauty of this planet is mind blowing, awe inspiring, and breath taking. If we could only grasp what it is that we have. The other worlds that we know of are desolate rocky planets and moons, icy frigid landscapes, worlds of volcanous, incinerating heat, or vaporizing gas planets. There is nothing we have yet discovered in outer space that can equal the beauty of this planet with its watery wonders (my opinion again!). Most importantly, it is the only place that we know of that has life.
One of the reasons I love pondering outer space is that it puts everything else into perspective. Forget stock markets, and political ideologies. We are lucky to be alive. Lucky we have come as far as we have.
From this zoomed out perspective I feel both more hopeful and more determined. Hopeful that we can solve the complex problems that face us on planet earth today. Determined to do my part and not to give up. Determined not to forget what we have and give in to cynicism. Determined to support those whose lives have been thrown into chaos. Determined to practice and teach tolerance. Determined to grow up and evolve into the next stage of human consciousness and maturity that are needed for us to rectify the harm we have done to this planet, this dramatically beautiful world we call home, Gaia, mother earth.
It has been said, “You were born for such a time as this.” We each have a part to play in what is happening now. What is your part? Find your part. It may seem small but I assure you that it matters. The ripples of you travel out and reach every other form of life.
It is not naivete that makes me say these things, but my understanding of the strength of the human spirit. Reality is simply what we are all together collectively creating. So let’s create something good, shall we?
