I don’t know about you, but I have been experiencing huge waves of grief, sadness and anger. It might be the womens march, sometimes it’s hearing from a friend still in lockdown in the UK, sometimes something to do with my family, what’s happening with our students, the pandemic, patriarchy, the list is extensive.
I’ve been trying to shrug off these feelings by focussing my attention on others, being of service, being kind. Which although is well intentioned misses the point. It can also bring about a busyness that denies our sitting with these experiences and processing them. For if compassion and kindness doesn’t include ourselves, we’re not truly able to experience those things. For they can’t exclude us in the process.
I wanted to share this, as I feel many of you reading this might be familiar with this. The activity that staves off fretting. A social righteousness that blocks feelings of sadness and love in equal parts. Throwing oneself into work to avoid a sense of disease and anxiety. Putting ‘family first’ instead of processing what we need to.
If this sounds familiar, then make the shift. For your compassion and kindness has to include you. So what might you do about that?
With love,
Jac x