by Jen
on November 8, 2018
Waking up to news of another mass shooting in California right on the heels of the last one at a synagogue in Pennsylvania felt heavy. Especially after all of the divisiveness of the midterm elections, the attorney general stepping down, the craziness of the press conference, the ongoing immigrant situation and so, so much more. That’s just here in the U.S. Our world is full of fear-based suffering rooted in power struggles, scarcity mindsets, oppression and disconnection. All of these things leave us wondering, “what’s wrong with the world?”
And then on a personal level, there are so many walking wounded. Those of us who are walking around with broken hearts and battered spirits…holding tight to shame, judgement, anger, resentment and all the things that make us wonder, “what’s wrong with me?”
I don’t have answers or solutions for you today but I want to offer up some resources. If you find yourself struggling to understand the suffering in the world or the suffering within yourself, I hope some of the things that I bring to you can help you start to make steps towards peace, healing and open heartedness.
Remember, we are all in this together.
A PRAYER
BOOKS
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron
Falling Into Grace: Insights into the End of Suffering by Adyashanti
Judgement Detox: Release the Beliefs that Hold You Back from Living a Better Life by Gabrielle Bernstein
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
Tears to Triumph: Spiritual Healing for the Modern Plagues of Anxiety and Depression by Marianne Williamson
The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER
- Meditation – you can sit quietly, do writing meditations or use an app with guided meditations
- Devotionals and prayer – I have found this devotional to be especially helpful, Streams in the Desert
- Walking and spending time in nature
- Gratitude and reflection
- Acts of service
- A yoga practice
- Grounding practices, here are some ideas
Sending love,
Jen
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