Ode to Joy

I once came perilously close to becoming a homeless person when my temporary abode was suddenly sold out from under me and I desperately needed to find a new place to live.  During a frantic two weeks of waffling between abject fear and the occasional sense of peace that washed over me from out of nowhere, I knew there was a perfect place for me and that I would find it.  A voice in my head frequently reminded me that my job was to keep the faith and keep looking.  

Today we’re faced with an election in less than one week, and again I feel as if my precious home is being torn out from under me.  The fate of our nation will be sealed by the outcome of the presidential election—an outcome that will have an impact upon our planet both now and into future generations.  This presents a threat to comfort and security, a fear of the highest order.  This time I have stepped out of fear because I know where the secret key to my new home is hidden.  

Whichever way it plays out, there will likely be discord, and chances are that whatever happens immediately following the final count won’t be pretty.  We might have to live in the Divided States of America for a while longer until we wake up and reclaim our status as the free democracy of the United States.  We can’t change the election results.  We can only change our minds about how we respond to the results.  Make peace?  Or make war?  We have the power to decide.  We have the power to make peace.  We need to choose wisely and quickly.

Meanwhile, we have a bridge to cross, and we’re all in it together.  We need to find a way to get from one side to the other without collapsing in the middle before we reach our destination.  On one side, huddled masses stand mired in fear, unable to take the first step.  On the other, successful journeyers cheer joyfully and urge others to follow.

In a recent conversation with someone with polar opposite beliefs from my own, I realized how deeply embedded our beliefs are, how strongly and closely we hold them to ourselves, how fiercely we hold onto what we believe is right and true, how unwilling we may be to see or hear another point of view.  The Netflix movie, Social Dilemma paints a picture of how the greed factor has reached into social media and skewed our vision so that truth is hidden.  We only know what we are force fed by the underground power mongers who are happy to manipulate us into self-destruction.

As I learned during my painful brief brush with homelessness, it may seem nearly impossible to rip attention away from the clutches of fear and instead seek the possibility of solutions.  Though we may not be able to change the outcome of the election we can change our minds about how we allow the results to impact our personal reality.   We can add to the fear, or we can add to the light.  We can learn to see with double vision—on the one hand observing life as it appears to be, and on the other, viewing it from a higher perspective and seeing the possibility of what it can become if we raise our vision to a higher level. 

I do not deny that we are living in a frightening world filled with chaos and turmoil, yet we need not be victims. We have the power and capacity to take matters into our own hands and determine that we will make a difference. We can decide which thoughts and attitudes to incorporate into our belief system and which to discard. We choose which thoughts are beneficial to our health and well being, and which are not. Does anxiety, worry or fear about the future change or fix anything? Does it make us feel better? Does it do anyone any good at all? No. Does it cause harm? Absolutely. It destroys peace of mind, stresses the body, and adds negative energy to an already overloaded fear bank.

We have the power to take back our power from those who have stolen it. Those who have the courage to cross the bridge of light and successfully make it to the other side will speed the advance of humanity into the joyful life that we are meant to experience.  The salvation of our world depends upon our willingness and ability to change our minds, look on the bright side, keep the faith, and find joy, even amidst the appearance of all that seems to warrant otherwise.

Listen closely for the still small voice in your head that whispers beneath the screams of doom, that faithful voice that will remind you always that your job is to keep the faith and keep looking within to find the key to your own truth, your own joy. Faith is the key that unlocks the door to a peaceful and joyful future. Choose light.

I stand with millions of others on the joyful side of the bridge, cheering you on and waiting to welcome you to the light with a non-Covid hug.  Blessings dear ones.  Stay well, be safe, and keep the faith.

Note:  The photo above is courtesy of New Waves of Light, a website designed by anonymous individuals around the world who share the intention of bringing light and love to a world of darkness and chaos. (newwavesoflight.org or NWOL.us)