When we experience extreme stress or trauma, the fight-flight response is triggered. When this happens, our brain tells us we are under threat. In this animal state, the mind and body combine to feed us information that there is an enemy, in order to keep us safe, we identify with something other than ourselves as the thing to attack, or run from.
Now that we are in a time where we are flooded with traumatic images and stories from around the world, and also consciously or subconsciously aware that we cannot even stay abreast of all that is actually happening, all the horrors, we are in one hell of a collective stressed state. This is creating a collective conscious state of fear, anger, and angst. I can feel it, and I am sure you can too.
Within this time, we get to choose; am I going to let this information motivate me, mobilise me, or cripple me? Will I attack, or will I create action? Am I going to let myself become hateful, or can I use this as a mechanism to break myself open to love? I am NOT saying we need to roll over, handhold and kumbaya our way through trauma. I am suggesting that we ask of ourselves, is this moving me to separation or wholeness? Is that the direction I want to move in?
If we can take a tiny pause each moment when we feel ourselves diving off the deep end, and ask these two simple questions, then life will become more considered, and less stressed. And collectively, if more of us can do this, a shift will occur.
Written with love,
Jac x