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I believe in the popular motto “Love is stronger than hate,” but I have to admit that the words are on shaky ground right now.

In less than a month, every minority is being targeted, government employees are being fired, economic stability is shaky, national sites and glorious lands will be forever tainted, climate changes may not be reported, unbridled prejudice is rampant, violence and unpunished rule-breaking is proudly flaunted, unqualified and inexperienced people are now working in vital government positions, the majority of our representatives in Congress are mute and complicit, our international reputation has been destroyed, we’ve made enemies with our friends in Canada, Mexico, Panama, Greenland, and Europe, women’s rights are severely compromised, privacy laws are no longer private, we aren’t privy to receiving the latest updates and warnings about bird flu, Ebola, tuberculosis, measles, and the latest strain of COVID-19, cancer research is halted, veterans’ services and benefits are not being respected, and whistleblowers, independent media, social networks, and truth seekers are being muted.

Outside of all this, everything’s “fine.”

Or is it?

When I was a young girl, my mother instilled the “Chicken Little” syndrome in me. In the movie, Chicken Little believed that the sky was falling down. When my mother would say something dramatic about the state of the world or about me, I would roll my eyes and say, “Oh, Mom, that’s not going to happen to me or to the world. Be more optimistic.”

Sorry I said that to you, Mom. If you were living today, I’d validate your “Chicken Little” feelings. It does indeed feel as if everything is falling down.

Change is usually refreshing and good, but how those changes are implemented depends on the heart and the ideology of our leader(s). If the changes serve the collective whole, then I’m all in. If the changes are surrounded by self-serving intentions and deliberate chaos, I’m not.

Whether or not I’m wrong or right about all this, I know one thing. These are unsettling times and it requires extreme self-care. Let’s reintroduce ourselves to personal growth and healing tools that have the power to bring us back to center, sanity, balance, and love.

Self-care and self-love are the two most important commitments we can make to ourselves.

Yes, even healers, mental health experts, life coaches, truth seekers, brave journalists, courageous prosecutors, peace makers, ethical lawyers, nonpartisan judges, well-meaning politicians, and devoted doctors and nurses need this reminder.

We humans are amazing. We can hold a variety of contrasting feelings within us and still carry on, move forward, and be somewhat okay.

The shadows in our soul and the light in our highest wisdom can all be present together. We can shine love, show kindness, find moments of joy and inner peace, and at the same time, feel anger, grief, disillusion, hurt, anxiety, and fear.

If you find yourself wavering between emotions of darkness and light, here are two of my favorite healing tools to help you stay sane, grounded, strong, courageous, heart-centered, and empowered. 

1. “Breathing with Melody”

Deep breathing is the highest form of self-care and self-love. When we’re stressed, we often forget to breathe. Deep breathing helps us to feel stable, healthy, calm, refreshed.

 How to invite a flow of energy, your “Chi” (“Qi)” to dance within you—no matter what:

>> Preparation: sit, stand, or lay down. Close your eyes. Place both palms of your hands in the center of your heart.

>> As you count to four, inhale slowly and deeply through your nose.

>> Then, hold that breath as you count to four again.

>> Next, for the count of six, slowly release this breath through your mouth.

>> Mindfulness Exercise: every time you notice a slight pause between the in-breath and the out-breath, relax your body even more. Relax your jaw, shoulders, forehead, hands—any body part that feels tight.

>> Repeat this activity, but this time add the healing power of words to your breathing. For example, as you inhale and exhale, breathe in the intentional feeling, energy, vision, and power word of love.

>> As you breathe in, send yourself unconditional love.

>> As you breathe out, send love to everyone on our one precious planet.

2. The Positive Thought Transference Technique and “The Metta Meditation Prayer of Loving Kindness”

I use the power of my mind to send the vibration of love consciousness to myself, to others, and to all people, animals, and lands throughout the world. As I put myself in a meditative state, I activate the healing words of the “Metta Meditation Prayer of Loving Kindness” many times throughout my day.

Come join me as we say, think, and imagine words of “positive thought transference.”

The Metta Meditation Prayer of Loving Kindness

May I be Happy.

May I be Well.

May I be Safe.

May I be at Peace and at Ease.

May you be Happy.

May you be Well.

May you be Safe.

May you be at Peace and at Ease.

May we be Happy.

May we be Well.

May we be Safe.

May we be at Peace and at Ease.

Even when I’m taking a shower or brushing my teeth, I am consciously thinking of these words. I also ring my sound healing chakra bowls and lift the vibration of these words into the universe.

I send their intentions to people with whom I don’t agree (not easy), as well as to those that are like-minded people. We have the power to live the words, “Do unto others as they would have them do unto you” and to shift hate into love and love into understanding, compassion, forgiveness, and empathy.

If you find yourself doubting that the breathing technique and the Metta meditation can work for you in your darkest of moments, my answer from my heart to yours is “but/and.”

But: I do not know for sure if these healing tools will help you. Try it. It’s better than staying in the muck of life. Self-care and self-love are steps toward quiet and loud activism.

And: The most positive vibrations in life are invisible. You might not be able to scientifically prove them, but you can sense, feel, intuit, and know from a place within your highest wisdom that love will always be the path.

Visualize a shift of heart toward the spirit of love and healing, give yourself a voice in the world, call your representatives, boycott, protest, write, create, sing, meditate, deep breathe, find small and big moments of joy, practice gratitude, never give up, recall positive memories and relive them, look at photos that bring a smile to your face, and recite the Metta Meditation.

After all, this prayer asks us to do only two things: to love and be kind. What’s hard about that?

I know this article is longer than usual, but I’m having a hard time letting you go. You’re important to me. Our connection. Our creative gifts. Our dreams. Our passionate plea for peace. Our open hearts. Our common ground. Our struggles and our joys.

By sharing the following original poem with you, I think I can let you go with a sense of inner peace. Please keep it close to you in the same way you will keep the “Loving Kindness” prayer close to you.

My poem is called, “My Dream for Peace—A Shift of Heart” from the book, Peace Dreamer: A Journey of Hope in Bad Times and Good.

“My Dream for Peace—Shift of Heart”

Imagine: A day will come when those who have the power to destroy the world suddenly feel a transformational shift in their hearts to save the world.

Believe: A day will come when every heart on earth opens to the healing energy of love, kindness, compassion, empathy, diversity celebration, and peace.

Trust: A day will come when we see each other through the warm eyes of love.

Rejoice: A day will come when the Statue of Liberty stands tall once again and greets all humanity back to its shores with love.

Envision: A day will come when the world chooses to cooperate, collaborate, and do what is best for the well-being of the collective.

Care: A day will come when we realize how important it is to stop our busy lives and listen to each other’s feelings, thoughts, and life experiences without judgment. We will simply listen from a place of love.

Visualize: A day will come when conflicts are resolved through nonviolent solutions, and the path of listening, common-ground compromise, and the healing power of love.

Celebrate: A day will come when a healing light shines through and around mother earth and the whole world makes a conscious decision to stand for love.

~