Daring to be Lighthearted
There’s always good news hidden amongst the bad.
For example, in the US, the CDC has issued a statement that vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks in public. And in the northeast, Spring is rapidly turning into summer with warmer weather, profusely blooming flowers, and a long winter finally behind us.
But there are also many events in the world where suffering, disparity, and isolation continue to increase. The virus is still raging, inequity is still rampant, the climate conditions continue to worsen — along with many other issues still unresolved or worsening.
Do we dare to be lighthearted in the face of the many sobering facts that confront us every day?
Wouldn’t that attitude be unrealistic? Pollyanna-ish? Head-in-the-sand?
I say NO! To be lighthearted doesn’t mean we are dismissive.
It doesn’t mean we don’t care, and for many of us, care deeply.
It doesn’t mean we don’t believe problems exist or can’t be fixed.
And it doesn’t mean we turn our heads away only to focus on what is pretty or nice or harmless.
It DOES mean that we can come from a place within us that is free from being serious, anxious, worried, or afraid. Who can think clearly and creatively when submerged in those dark waters?
It does mean we can take action from love and compassion.
It does mean we can keep our eyes open for new possibilities, new solutions — even if the problems are age-old and entrenched.
And it does mean we are capable of doing our part, however large or small it is.
When I lived in New York City years ago there were PETA representatives (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) that frequently took over the corner across the street from me with their signs and their shouts decrying the terrible treatment of animals.
Now, I’m an animal lover and I care deeply about all animals but I could barely stand to look or listen to what they were shouting about, I would have to cross the street because what they were exposing was so difficult to bear. (That didn’t mean I stopped finding ways to help the cause). But I wanted to stand FOR something rather than against it.
Of course there are many, many issues which are truly horrible and inhuman, yet they continue, whether our stance is for or against.
But if we only focus on the darkness, we could spend our lives only seeing what hurts us all — humans, animals, the vegetable kingdom, the planet — and all of us curled in a fetal position under our beds.
Instead, if we’re willing to focus on the light — the goodness, the possibilities, the creativity - that’s possible in every situation, then we can find ways to make those challenges better, and something new can come from what we see.
For me, to be lighthearted means to be filled with light. Some people who are lighthearted call themselves lightworkers, because their mission, as they see it, is to carry hope and compassion to the world. And their hearts are light, because they’re not carrying the weight of the world.
But for the rest of us, we don’t have to use what may sound to others like some esoteric label (it’s actually just the opposite) because it’s actually a very practical, down-to-earth calling that anyone of us can agree to, regardless of our station in life.
We help where we can, because we know we’re all in this together. Beneath all the competition, greed, anger, and loneliness, we all want the same things: to be happy, to love, to have enough.
It’s easy to forget we live in a world of possibility when so many impossibilities have been imposed.
So it’s vital that we remember what our essence, our true nature holds within it. We are inherently creative, so wherever there is a problem to be solved, a challenge to be faced, we have within ourselves the capacity to look at it directly, fully present, and have solutions occur to us.
And when we see the first glimmers of those “solutions,” we can be absolutely certain that the Universe (or God, or whatever you want to call it) will continue to support us as we follow the breadcrumbs to bring those solutions into reality.
As a transformative coach, creativity encourager, and artist, I love the endless possibilities and inner freedom which emerge as we explore our own pure potential. To find out more, visit me at ninalockwood.com, LinkedIn or Instagram (@nina.inspired.life).
