It’s been a heavy past few weeks.
As if the world wasn’t going through enough dealing with the pandemic, we are reminded again of how painstakingly unequal it remains. Of how unfair life can be. In both small and large ways.
Right now the world can seem to have lost any sense of balance. In some ways, this may even be true. It is filled with so many tragedies and injustices. We can easily lose ourselves in them.
Don’t.
Do get frustrated and upset if you feel moved. These feelings help us get to work in a positive way toward making a change.
Don’t get angry. Anger invites aggression and war. It distracts us from our well-intended efforts.
Do choose one or two things that speaks to you to become an active change-maker. Start at small micro-levels.
Don’t carry all the world’s problems around with you on your shoulders. They will weigh you down and prevent you from taking the steps toward change you so want to make… and we so desperately need.
Do be kind to yourself and your loved ones. Get to know your neighbours. Remember people’s names – and call them by that name often. Be open and honest, with yourself and with children.
Don’t feel guilty or ashamed of who you are, what you have, or where you come from. No matter your ethnic background or economic status.
Do practice conscious recognition and gentle self-acknowledgment instead. Use what you know to teach somebody else. Use what you have to lift somebody else.
Breaking down barriers and unhealthy attitudes toward others, across differences, comes from building bridges and making a connection. It starts with kindness and ends with trust. No matter how different we may be from the outside, our similarities on the inside will always outweigh them.
Do maintain trust in the good of the world, and the good in humans. Things are better. Even if we forget at times. Even if it’s clear we must do even more.
Most of all, do trust in yourself.
You have the power to make a positive impact through small, meaningful steps in your everyday life. When we take small daily steps, we have the power to collectively shift our lives.
Wishing you healthiness, happiness, and calmness.
Natasha is the Creator of The Kindness Journal: 6 Minutes A Day To Happiness, and co-founder of The 8-Hour Therapist. Grab your free “journal jumpstart” with 5 days of prompted journalling here — The Kindness Journal Jumpstart Kit.