Finding Clear Mental Space In Times of Fraught Tensions

Don’t just wish to become a noun. Start being a verb instead.

~ Stephen Frye

I put out my first blog posts and already I’m struggling to write more.

Not because I have nothing to say. Au contraire! What I have to say, what I want to say could be heavy...for some.

But I’ve gotta be me so here goes.

In my last post I shared about the “art of noticing” reminding you about being present in your life; to begin to see, to witness what’s right in front of you.

I shared this quote:

The art of noticing involves actively paying attention to the small, often overlooked details of the world around you to find deeper significance, beauty, and inspiration.

So yeh, that’s where the heavy comes in.

Unless you’re hiding (intentionally I might add) under a damn gigantic rock that is fully soundproof and darkened like the deep, dark recesses of a cave, you can’t help but notice national and world events going on.

And that’s where I’m struggling. Should I write about what I’m noticing or keep things surface level to not rock the boat?

Let me first inform you…my hubs has always called me contrarian for good reason.

Can you see where this is going? Okay, good. Let’s start.

THE VIEW FROM HERE

I am heartbroken, saddened, gutted and frankly utterly gobsmacked at the events of the last 16-ish months here in the US (particularly what occurred this past February).

Cruelty, unnecessarily. Brutality. Death, again unnecessarily. Shall we not forget the grift. Incompetence and ineptitude.

Some days it’s hard to find the light, to rise above the fray and keep moving through life unfazed or affected.

It’s not easing. It feels like it’s getting harder and harder.

I want to scream in frustration and unrestrained anger most days. I have nowhere to put it, to cradle these emotions and soothe my heart because every new day is a new happening, a new low.

Peace is not easy to find.

Massive liberation is what’s needed from the tyranny we in the US, and tangentially around the world, are being subjected to.

Who would ever have thought, in the aftermath of the whole world having to completely stop and shut down because of COVID, we’d be in THIS type of predicament in THIS country?

WHAT DO WE DO NOW?

We continue to resist. To stand strong. To actively engage AND, at the same time, keep taking care of ourselves physically, but especially mentally. Cause that’s where things can go awry real fast.

This thing we’re all experiencing both externally and internally, there’s no simple fix that can put us—our neighborhoods, this country, the world—on the different track to bypass what’s happening or what we’re feeling.

But there are things we can do to help us in this, and these moments. In keeping with the concept behind these articles, the art of noticing, I want to share a few ideas that might help you. They definitely help keep me grounded, eyes wide open.

1. Don’t fret.

Well not too much. Staying in the fray, mentally, can take a tole on our bodies and exacerbate any malcontent we feel to the point that regular, daily functioning can be impacted. Nope. That is NOT what you or us as a collective needs.

My mother used to say, “Don’t let someone take your blue sky”. That’s the thinking and hope we need to hold on to right now. Being aware and noticing what’s going on is important. Getting caught us so that you’re afraid to do, to act, to be is not.

2. Write.

This one might seem strange to contemplate or even start but hang in with me for a bit. I have been a journaler for years, since I was a teenager. It hasn’t always been easy for me to find the words to express my thoughts and feelings over the years but I always come back to it, the practice of writing what I refer to as my heartwords.

I call them heartwords because when writing we can tend to be surface level reaching only.

Heartwords are about more intentional ruminating and reflecting. They reach deeper to the places that we tend to want to avoid because the feeling are harder to access reveal and receive.

I encourage you to go there. Getting the words out that are hanging around the recesses of your mind, having them noticed or acknowledged by your conscious self is so much better than letting them stew and fester inside you.

3. Go outside.

Another one that might seem strange on the surface but it, too, is an intentional act. If you re able to, head outside. Take a few steps beyond the open door and just stand there for a few minutes.

Ground yourself in the here and now of a being present in your aliveness. Observe what you see and hear, not for recording (although you can do that too) but literally just to observe.

Let your mind relax as it moves around noticing.

This is something I do every morning, albeit from my bedroom window when I first open the blinds. I take a few heartbeats of time just taking in what the world is offering me that day. Later on in the day I will indulge in outside presence.

To take this action one step further, why not go for a walk around your neighborhood, through a favourite park or area where trees abound. And as you’re walking look up sometimes to take in the breath of the whole sky thinking about all that’s beyond it.

4. Get active.

Get actively engage in your resistance efforts. The time for standing on the sidelines waiting for others to do the work of resistance and push back is no more.

Truth be told, I am a black woman living in the United States. My active engagement might look a bit different to what you do but staying actively engaged is key to moving through what we are experiencing and what we are living through.

Find a local group to join so the work you do is as a larger collective. Do your part to boycott those companies that don’t adhere to your ethical or moral standards.

Also, let your resistance be known. Reach out to others in your personal community and have conversations about what’s going on and about how you’re feeling. Come up with ways you can work together to activate your resistance. Doing it with a friend can make the journey less arduous.

Don’t stay holed up in your space, your home. That’s the exact opposite of what’s needed from you, from each of us right now so that we all can get to a better place, sans the immediate threat of fascism.

One last thing to share with you….

5. Breathe.

This one is abut not staying in the we-are-doomed headspace but remembering to come back to self through heartfelt, conscious breaths, where the only purpose is to fill your lungs with oxygen.

Why bring this up now?

Oxygen is the fundamental life force essential for human survival, acting as the primary fuel for cellular energy production and metabolic processes. [1]

Oxygen helps organisms grow, reproduce, and turn food into energy. It also helps sharpen our minds and is key to sustaining our vitality. It is essential to human life. Without it we don’t exist.

Intentional breathing refocuses your energy back into you allowing you space to pause and recenter and clear any fog so to speak.

It pushes away what’s not needed in the moment and focuses your attention on the presnet moment. Everything external that might be affecting you slips away and you’re left with your own internal presence.

(psst...all of what's written above is part of being the verb instead of only a noun 😉)

THE PEN

Ok, so I promised to end each post showcasing a pen in my collection (great for #2 above).

One of favorite pen brands is by an Italian manufacturer, Leonardo. They make freaking exceptional writing instruments with beautifully gorgeous resins.

Meet Leonardo Memento Zero Grande 2.0 in the style Sakura. I fell in love with it the minute it was released and knew I’d eventually have to own one of these limited edition pens.

I now do. Mine is number _____. Here’s her unboxing.

LEONARDO MEMENTO ZERO GRANDE 2.O SAKURA

FINAL THOUGHTS…

I’d love to engage with you more here in this blog so at the end of each post, a question for you to ponder…

What are you doing in your corner of the world to stay above the fray?

Feel free to share your thoughts int he comments below as I’m sure others reading could find your way useful to them as well.

Till we connect again….

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[1] - Google defintion