Finding Hope in a World of Suffering
In recent times, the world has been filled with tragedy and conflict. It can be difficult to find hope and light amidst such darkness. However, it is crucial that we do not give up on hope and continue to take meaningful action in a sustainable way.
Remember that we cannot give from an empty cup. In our pursuit of collective liberation, we must not burn ourselves out.
And to those of us who are choosing to avoid world issues altogether, I see you. I’ve been there. Once we let ourselves feel the gravity and the weight of the world, in comes the overwhelm, the burnout, the grief. For me, it’s led me to my lupus coming out of a 10-year remission and straight to the emergency room.
So I’d like to share a practice that’s worked for me to overcome avoiding, and I hope it works for you too. Try to view life from a place where you’re at the end of your life and you’re your most authentic, highest, joyful self. From this viewpoint, what actions would you wish you had taken in the current climate? What actions would you have wanted the present you to take for the collective?
The answer that came to me while doing this exercise is finding ways to be there for my fellow humans to the best of my ability, to take meaningful action, and to care for myself. I also needed to release the guilt and shame around doing those things for myself. As someone who manages two autoimmune conditions, the more my body is flaring up, the fewer actions I can take for the collective good.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by the current state of the world, I’d like to share three practices that can help you stay connected to yourself and others. To be clear, this isn’t so we can avoid the situations through these practices. It is to shift the energy within yourself so that while you’re taking meaningful action, there can be burnout and apathy prevention, so you can continue doing what you’re doing.
The practices are:
Metta Meditation: This meditation involves repeating phrases of loving-kindness to yourself, someone you know, and all sentient beings. It can help to cultivate compassion and empathy.
Link to practice with me (free)
Tonglen Meditation: This meditation involves visualizing taking in the suffering of others with each inhale and releasing relief with each exhale. It can help to transform difficult emotions into compassion and wisdom.
Search “Tonglen meditation practice” and many will pop up on your search engine. Choose depending on how much time you’d like to meditate.
Blessing People in Public: This practice involves silently blessing the people around you with phrases of loving-kindness. It can help to cultivate feelings of gratitude and connection. I usually just use the blessings from the Metta meditation: “May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be at peace”. This one is my favorite and I like to practice it on public transportation or while waiting in lines.
Remember, your actions matter. Your voice matters.
I want to remind you that your actions, along with the actions of many others, make a difference. Whether you’re protesting, calling your representatives, writing letters and emails, researching, providing support, or donating, your efforts are contributing to the collective good.
Working synergistically with your tangible actions, these three practices can be helpful tools for staying connected to yourself and others during difficult times. They can help us to cultivate compassion, empathy, and understanding, which are essential in our pursuit of a more just and liberated world.
I hope this post was helpful. If you’d like additional support and practices, I’ve created an 8-page guidebook just for you! Click here to download the free guidebook.
