Monday, August 6, 2018

The World Is Raging

What do you do when the world seems to be crashing in all around you? There is so much going on, so much anguish and anger, so many fears and tears. So much drama and hate. How can anyone maintain their sanity in a world that seems to have gone mad without hiding in a cave or burrowing their head in the sand?

Everyone is different in how they handle the things happening right now. Some here on social media fear for their safety and privacy by locking their Facebook profile down to friends only, while leaving their Twitter, G+, Instagram and all other platforms they use completely open to the public view. I'm not sure what this accomplishes for them, because most times they have synced the things they post on Facebook to be cross-posted to these other places. I guess it would give them a false sense of security, and then they could go on about their everyday life confidently without fear.

But, what happens when that fear crosses over to the other social media sites? Do they get locked down for friends only as well? That would be the most rational thing to do, right? If that is how they cope, why have an online presence at all?

Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. Yes, I know many people have their Facebook profile set to friends only, mine used to be that way as well. And IMO, which is worth about 2 cents, that is a perfect way to interact with only those who keep your confidence and will help you to feel safe. But, what about those who also write blogs, or have YouTube channels or are more active on Twitter than Facebook? How do you get your message out in the hopes that anything you have to say would in some small way help others who you have written that blog post for or recorded that video for YouTube?

Yes, emotions are at the highest point I can remember in my lifetime. Your neighbor is now your enemy, simply because you have differing opinions. You fear to go to the market because you have no way to determine what the environment there is going to be, going out to eat can be a challenge with some of those angry customers becoming even angrier if there is even the slightest thing wrong with their order. Road rage is at an all-time high and many people now feel it is acceptable to act out their anger or bigotry.

What to do? I'm sorry to say I don't have an answer to my own question. I can try to explain how I make it through each day with the hope I'll see the next sunrise.

Each morning, when the alarm goes off, I reach over and hit the snooze button. During that 9 minutes before the alarm goes off again, I begin the morning prayers to my Gods, asking Them to give me the wisdom to face my day according to the way They would have me see my world. I reinforce the protection shields I've set around myself and those I love, and I visualize the day progressing in a safe, productive and protective manner.

Once I get up, the first thing I do even before coffee is to relight the candles on my altar and ask for blessings for those who the candles represent. I freely admit there are days my life is out of kilter (at least in my own mind) that this task seems to be the one thing I dread the most. And on those days when I put it off, I feel scattered and unsettled until I DO make the stop at the altar to light candles, say my morning prayers and accept the peace that settles over me after that has been completed.

Yes, some days it's more difficult than others to trust in those Gods and remember I am a Child of the Goddess and She isn't going to let anything happen to me that doesn't fit in Her plan. Throughout the day, I speak to Them and LISTEN to what They have to say.

At the end of the day, when the house is settled and all is quiet is when I can find the most peace. Our bedroom is on the opposite end of the house, away from any activity that may still be going on in the other bedrooms, and I've been able to furnish and arrange this room as a sanctuary. The master bath is attached and inside is a large garden soaking tub. Each night I fill that tub with water that many consider being a bit too warm, light a candle, turn off the lights and add lavender oil infused bath salts before I get in.

This next 20 or 30 minutes is where I find calm for meditation and reflection. This is where my mind is free from daily activities and my Gods have my mostly undivided attention to give me direction and correct me where I have faltered. This is the one place where I know I can sift through the happenings of the day and try to prepare for tomorrow. This is where I gain my strength to face tomorrow.

I never know what the next sunrise will bring, I am more than happy to face the new day and even though I struggle as do others, I know I will be doing my absolute best to be the sanity in a world gone crazy. Do I falter? Do I fail? Yes, of course, I do, I'm not perfect and with my temper and attitude, I will only take so much before my mouth gets the better of me. However, I try very hard to pick my battles and remark often that I'm not going to jail for anyone!

My Facebook profile is set to public, everyone that isn't on the blocked list can see every single thing I post. I also will only accept friends request from someone who is already friends with someone I have interacted with or know in the real face to face world. So the random friend request from a "strange" male has no bearing on how I go through my day. My settings also permit people to follow me so they can see what I post, comment on a post if they so desire while at the same time giving me the sense of security that only my mind can understand. I have multiple public pages on Facebook that I either control or admin on, and my other online accounts are all set to public.

I have nothing to hide and even though some may say I'm delusional regarding my online safety, I'm not. I do have boundaries, but I'm not going to stop writing this blog, nor am I going to stop being vocal on Twitter, Tumblr, and G+. I have taken the precautions I feel necessary, I refuse to be intimidated or hide. The world has so much to offer and I don't want to miss any part of it!

How do you cope with your world around you? I can't give you that answer, it must come from deep inside your inner being. You are the one who can hide from the world or you can live your life as your Gods direct and accept that the world is raging. You are the only one who can make changes if you desire to do so.