The following is an excerpt from a newsletter that I sent out to the residents of my condo building on June 30, just two days after the tragic shooting at the Annapolis Gazette. Though you may have read it before, sometimes it helps to be reminded that each one of us makes a difference in our world. There is a revised ending–just so you know!
On Thursday we were reeling from a senseless tragedy that occurred right here, a mere four miles away from our own front door, in a building where many of us go to doctors and dentists. It doesn’t get very much closer to home than that. At the risk of sounding uncharacteristically negative, today I am feeling rather powerless and hopeless as I process all that is happening in our world today. The horrendous murder of innocent people coupled with a pervasively negative political climate is turning our country inside out. If I think about it or dwell on it too much, it almost seems more than I can bear. Perhaps some of you may be experiencing similar feelings.
As I sit with heavy heart, I am aware that my mind tends to run away with itself by indulging in negative thinking. I am not helping the problem—indeed, I am adding to it by allowing an insidious underlying fear to infiltrate my mind and dominate my thought process. A smile is catching. So is fear.
I don’t want to be responsible for spreading the disease of fear, for truly, it is a disease. It robs us of peace of mind, a healthy outlook, and hope for a brighter future. Instead, I am going to shift my mindset into one of looking beyond the appearance of what is, and instead focus on what may be, and of what is possible when we focus on love rather than fear. I invite you to join me in adopting and maintaining a higher vision of a better, safer world. In horoscopes, it is often written that sometimes we must “tear down in order to rebuild.” Life on our planet may never return to what it once was, but I am holding a vision and keeping the faith that one day it will be rebuilt into one that is even better. Please, please help to speed the process by focusing on what’s right rather than on what’s wrong, on light rather than dark, on love rather than fear.
If this post speaks to your heart, I hope that you will share it with others who may find solace and comfort in knowing that they too can make a difference in a world in such need of love and peace. Please pass it on. We need all of the help and hope that we can get.
To borrow a phrase from yesteryear, “Make love, not war.” Stay strong and nurture your spirit with thoughts that lift you up into the hope of a happy ending.
Peace, blessings, and love to all.
Thanks for this post. If everyone would just be a little more caring, kind and generous of heart the world would be a better place. We had a shooting in our town in 2015. The person just drove off the I10, went to a local movie theater and killed two and wounded 9 others before committing suicide. Your post is filled with positive energy and excellent advice. Thanks for putting it out there!
We have so much to be grateful for, and I, for one am particularly grateful to the spiritual warriors out there who have committed themselves to the task of using their skills for the benefit of the whole. It seems like a gargantuan task, but I am hanging on to the belief that the world can be changed — one mind at a time. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Grady.
Aw, it is so hard to not be overcome by fear witnessing evil and the sadness its actions causes. Your message about Light is beautiful.
Thank you — and thank you for being one of the Light Beings.
Dearest Aunt Julia ~ Another powerful, true and uplifting blog….as I type, FOUR of those precious Thai boys have been rescued by an INTERNATIONAL team, at least, for the moment, dismantling our fear-based walls. May love prevail! I love you, Connie
Hallelujah! Evidence of God’s handiwork and the world coming together in prayer to support the boys and the rescuers. Only eight more boys and one coach left to go. Yes. May love, light, and faith prevail! I love you too!
Great message Julia – it really works to focus on love and not always easy with events as violent as this. Thanks for sharing this!
How sad, how true. Thank you Donna. Keep on loving’!
I HOLD THAT VISION TOO
More is better! Every light matters.
Thank you Julia for stating what many of us feel. Well put to paper.
Thank you dear friend
Dear Julia,
Well said! I agree about holding the vision of positivity, of love not fear. Will pass along your wise words. Keep up the good work, your keen vision & excellent writing! love, ginny
Ginny Daly 202.420.9550 “Anything worth doing is worth overdoing!”
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Ginny dear, thank you as always for your encouraging comments. I have been thinking about you SO much lately and about how much I miss you. We’ve gotta fix that! Love you, Julia
Today it is so much easier to become depressed and to succumb to bitterness than to embrace optimism and to love. Thanks for your insight and encouragement
Oh Yay Kathy! You wrote a comment and successfully posted it! Wow! I’m impressed. I’m gonna embrace optimism! 🙂
This is so beautiful. Thank you 😊. Love, Ruth
Sent from my iPhone
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Many thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Love!
These things are so hard. God give us peace.
Hear hear!!