In ‘Dark’ Times…

…Life is your playground

We are currently experiencing an unsettling time – this is nothing new; we were experiencing it already but maybe we weren’t all quite so aware of it before recent events in the political world and the repercussions this has ensued. This is bringing some challenging moments for many, it is showing us the ugly side to us all, it is highlighting the separation of us within society, communities and even families.

So we have a couple of options here – we can perpetuate this divide, we can continue to defend our beliefs and political views and engage in the conflicts that will inevitably cause, we can continue to defend our mind made sense of who we think we are or who we ought to be. Your beliefs, your history, your political views or morals don’t unite you, that’s a trap, a yearning to feel safe with ‘others like me’ which causes a deeper divide meaning we continue to be the pawns in a game and hand all our power to the few.

Or we could embrace this situation we find ourselves in, celebrate it for what it is showing us, we can drag the darkness out into the light to bring about real change and transformation of us on a personal level and as a collective.

We mustn’t shy away from these times, the conflict we are seeing and feeling is happening within us and if we are hoping the world outside of us is going to get better then we are destined to remain trapped. Free yourself by facing the darkness with a gentle acceptance. Be real, welcome and take ownership of the emotions that arise and give permission to those around you to do the same. See each day, each moment, as new, laugh, cry, shout, express your feelings without a story attached and keep your eyes open to opportunities to spread love and compassion to your fellow humans regardless of your judgemental mind.

I know this is not easy, being authentic in this way and letting go of a lifetimes worth of mind made structures is scary … but that’s exactly why I know this needs to be done, because that fear is showing me my desire to hold onto my minds sense of self. I could stay comfortable and not push myself to step out my comfort zone but then I would have to ignore an inner fire that’s yearning for me to create, to express myself and to be of service to humanity. I could listen to my critical mind or worry about what my friends and family might think of me, I could worry about people shooting down my words… and I do! But once again this shows me what I need to see, your world shows you what you need to see, and I’m pretty sure we’re all seeing a picture that needs to change.

We can start by taking a step back from the madness and begin to look around us, and within us, with the eyes of a child.

 

Come with me now…

Breathe and settle in your body, notice your physical body and how it feels, imagine yourself taking that step back into space, the space that exists within your being. Notice the voices in your head do what they do or maybe they’ve gone quiet.

Take a few moments to rest here, just here, in this moment…

As you sit here the life force is running through every cell of your being, every vein, artery, muscle is alive; alive with the same life force that gives everything life.

Move your body, feel the shifting of your physical body and the pace of your breath.

And now you’re here. In life’s playground.

It is here that your power is, and yes you are powerful. Powerful enough to change your world and influence the world in which we find ourselves in. It’s time to get to work, and that work starts within.

In order to embark on this quest we need to bring to the fore a child like innocence, a thirst to explore and a sense of fun. Discover things but don’t hold onto our findings, be fluid and keep our minds and hearts open.

So play, play from this space where your mind-made prison bars can fall.

 

To close… These times call for us to be extra mindful of the stones we throw. The political, societal, economic and geographical systems we currently live in are what keeps us divided but we are already united we have just forgotten that truth.

One Love
Sophie x

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