There is no doubt that our human minds would not select the challenges we are facing. The layer of unfamiliarity and suffering can either make us victims or open our eyes (20/20).

Victimhood is disempowering. It says we are small and incapable and that world events are turning against us.  What if these magnified events are designed to get our attention in ways we cannot ignore?

We are a stubborn species.  We love familiarity and comfort. Unfamiliarity and discomfort are signs that change and learning are invading our sanctuaries. Some of the current events are so magnified that we cannot ignore them. The common coping strategies of the unconscious mind are to blame and defend. There is a surplus of both in our world.

The more beneficial option is to “stay.” This counterintuitive option means to become still when we want to act to either blame or defend.  What happens next may be surprising. Immediately behind the discomfort and unfamiliarity, if we lean into these feelings, is opportunity.

Reactivity comes from fear. Responsiveness comes from wisdom in action.  These few words are designed to encourage, to open the door of possibilities and close the door of despair. No blaming, no defending, just full presence.

On a moment to moment basis, leave the world better than you found it. Clean up your mess and other people’s messes. Open your heart, rather than walling it off.

The opportunity of 2020 is to see that, if we believe that all of Creation comes from Love, that the embrace of growth and change are immediately behind what we would normally reject. When the world is filled with contention and opposition, if we stay centered and observant, we become the steadying force.

Steady as she goes…with love,

Rosanne Bostonian