TRIS (The Really Important Stuff)

Let’s talk about world health and healing from a non-medical perspective.

I’m not a doctor, but for the past few months, I’ve been exploring my gift as an intuitive card reader. Channeled messages? Yes, I’ve been hearing them since I was seven (at least), but my strict upbringing (which was not necessarily atheist) led me to put them aside while I was doing TRIS (a.k.a. “The Really Important Stuff”).

Now, the thing about TRIS is that, if you allow others to dictate what is important or not in your life, you’ll probably feel low most of the times. And, by ‘feeling low’, I mean ‘lacking in energy’ — a side effect of running empty on self-awareness and responsibility.

You might ask yourselves: “Okay, beautiful, but what does it all have to do with the state of the world right now?”. Maybe you were expecting a word or two on the pandemic chaos that lurks as I write this piece. Well, as I’ve said in the first paragraph, I’m not a doctor. However, in my forty years of existence, I’ve learned a couple of things about healing, so bear with me.

Even if my highly traditional path meant acquiring Master’s and Doctor’s degrees in Language, I didn’t learn about healing while studying (or lecturing) at any specific college. Not to say this experience meant nothing to me! Quite the opposite: aside from a couple of theoretical viewpoints, I’ve actually learned how important knowledge is and how sad it can be when it’s turned into a product.

Witnessing my neighbors and friends getting scared about our current health scenario, I feel deeply compassionate. I also remember that, for a lot of them, living through this kind of outburst maybe a new experience. Still, I cannot help but wonder: why, no matter how frightened some people are, they still find it difficult to follow sanitary isolation measures? I’m not talking about those who experience missing work as luxury (in fact, most of my fellow countrypeople here in Brazil), since they work by the hour and their superiors refuse to liberate them, even during such a difficult time. The word ‘liberate’ more than suggests how these working relations really tie up (just like the phrasal verb ‘tie up’).

‘Knowledge-as-a-product’ social environments will strip anyone from their responsibility towards their life and the world. Instead of focusing on “How can I contribute?” and “What do I know, deep in my heart, to be true, based on my experiences?”, people prefer to receive instructions about ‘right or wrong’ (particularly if they come in bullet-point form), while ignoring that responsibility is the ability to respond, in real life, in a manner that feels physically, emotionally, and spirituality healthy. But how can one cope with responsibility, if others script all we know about ourselves (and TRIS)? Enters the media — most of the times, following the same panic agenda that has helped them ‘sell the news’ and we buy it!

So, how is it that intuitive readings, TRIS, panic and pandemic vibes all come together? It’s simple! From a spiritual standpoint, this health crisis is also an opportunity for us to reconsider “The Really Important Stuff”. If bosses all over the world are having a hard time sending their employees home (no wage loss implied), if it is difficult for us to step out of the rat race (even when we don’t need it to guarantee our basic needs), and if, whenever faced with the fear of death, we look for ‘who’s to blame’, turning ourselves against each other… Well, maybe we need to shift a long overdue perspective on life that places material gain above anything (even above life itself!).

That is what I’ve heard (or channeled) this morning, so I thought it might be important to write it down too. It may seem naïve or too “esoteric” for some, but let me ask you a very simple question: What are TRIS for you? I’m asking solely because this question has changed my life, and that’s where we come to the final part of this article — the one that talks about healing.

I have already been through a fair amount of loss (less than many other people, I know, but still, a fair amount). When we lose something (or someone) dear to our hearts, our energy levels diminish as we process and the pain. But sometimes whatever (or whoever) we love was not meant for us. In fact, it may even be detrimental to us or an impediment to our growth as human beings.

Some of our “really important stuff” — like the addiction to recognition, fame, money and the false sense of safety they bring — need to go right now. This is the right moment, when we are all connected (even if through loss) to act from our ‘better, enlightened selves’, taking responsibility for what we do and considering the global impact of our presence in this world.

This morning, I’ve also heard that any kind act and responsible action we undertook during this quarantine period would have its effects multiplied by three, so consider what a gift this could be if took a more human and caring approach to life.

If you still feel ashamed about showing this gentler side of yours, know that you can release this feeling. I’ve dedicated the first half of my life building this shadowy empire of TRIS meant to impress others and prove my value. I didn’t know that vulnerability and compassion are on top of one’s strength list. And I also didn’t know that the gentle approach is always the tougher (and most efficient) route to take.