Ripples #912: Handling Anything.
Nov 14, 2016
PEBBLE
Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.
-James Stephens, shared by Pete in Sedona, AZ
BOULDER
Anything that annoys you is teaching you patience.
Anyone who abandons you is teaching you how to stand up on your own two feet.
Anything that angers you is teaching you forgiveness and compassion.
Anything that has power over you is teaching you how to take your power back.
Anything you hate is teaching you unconditional love.
Anything you fear is teaching you courage to overcome your fear.
Anything you can’t control is teaching you how to let go.
-Jackson Kiddard, shared by Iyanla Vansant in her show Fix My Life
http://www.oprah.com/app/iyanla-fix-my-life.html
PONDER
After this unusually long and particularly challenging election cycle, I think it is safe to say that we’ve landed somewhere that for many of us is UNEXPECTED, UNWANTED, and leaving us UNSURE of what is going to happen next. I had originally planned to make only passing reference to the election outcome and then move on to a new topic this week, but I just couldn’t ignore that so many people are still feeling bewildered, sad, and/or frustrated.
Some people may be confused about why this is so difficult for many Americans. I suspect that things unfolded in a way that has left us with an unprecedented trifecta I mentioned above: this was UNEXPECTED since almost no one predicted this outcome; it was UNWANTED by many people who either voted for another candidate or stayed home because they weren’t sufficiently inspired by anyone who was on the ballot; finally, the combination of the first two has lots of people feeling UNSURE about what is going to happen from here. This has been exasperated by many of the worse-case scenarios that were discussed during the campaign.
While it makes sense that many people expressed concerns about a possible Trump presidency, I personally don’t think it is useful to panic about nightmare scenarios that we created in our attempts to sway voters even though I understand that is a natural consequence of having unleashed them over the past year. I do believe it is worth being concerned and cautious, although there is already some evidence that things are not likely to unfold like the dark plot of some dystopian work of fiction.
Regardless, as the dust settles over the next several days, I think many of us need to make room in our lives to grieve the loss of the outcome we had expected and/or hoped for. Then we can use the (rapidly approaching!) holidays to catch our breath, express gratitude for our blessings, and delight in the joyful and healing spirit that has traditionally accompanied the holidays.
I don’t know exactly what the new year will hold for us, but I know this: many of us have persisted through challenges that at first seemed unbearable. Even if they scarred us, we discovered it was possible to come out on the other side stronger, braver, wiser, and more confident in our individual and collective ability to handle just about anything that comes our way.
If you’re still struggling, it is important to take care and ask for help as necessary. (Make sure you catch the SNL Cold Open as it was profoundly moving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG-_ZDrypec) As soon as you’re ready, I hope you’ll get curious about what’s next. We can handle anything as long as we come together with our best efforts.
Peace,
Paul
The Ripples Guy
p.s. Thanksgiving is next week. Can you believe it? If you need an early start, I keep a special archive of the Gratitude Ripples we’ve unleashed over the past 17 years:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/10151140233646662
