Dear Wonderful Woman,
Women know friendship. I bet you have at least one special friend you run to whenever you need to process the world during times when life seems to be spinning out of control. It’s like a healing balm for gray days.
It’s helpful to sit with a friend and a cup of coffee (or with a phone to our ear) to spill the contents of a broken heart, mind or soul; to complain and confide emotions that paralyze us. This pain is so carefully hidden from the world; after all we are adults and are expected to “just handle it.”
Better than any drug is a soul friend.
If you’re lucky, you have many of these friends. Today, I’m thinking of one such person, Char, who serves that role in my life, and gives me one thing more. After she listens to me rattle on and on, she smiles her sweet smile and gently asks me, “Okay, that’s fine. Now what’s the New Story?â€
“The New Story? What are you talking about? I’ve just told you the way it is.â€
“Yes, and now I want you to tell a New Story about how you envision it to be.â€
“Oh.â€
She always gets to me. Sometimes I groan at her annoying habit of looking for the bright side of any situation, but my heart knows she’s right. For every down, there is an up; for every struggle in my life, there is an opportunity. What a pity to miss the opportunity by staying at a self-created-pity-party too long.
What better time to tell the New Story than now, in the aftermath of our tumultuous presidential election filled with fear and hate—on both sides—where we didn’t know which news story to trust. We are stepping into uncharted territory, but what? We don’t understand. Some are happy, but for many, it’s difficult to find hope in the future.
So as you might have already guessed, I turned to Char and asked her what she thought. She was living her own dark days but this is what she told me:
“The 2016 election results left me feeling betrayed and railroaded by the media. I trusted the polls and the predictions (except Michael Moore and The Simpsons). However, I was warned by Donald Trump himself when he said, ‘…this election is rigged.’ I interpreted this remark to mean that Hillary would win; he would proclaim a multitude of illegal procedures/voting practices, and the results would be in limbo for months.
“Instead, he won and accepted the election results without any claim of impropriety. So, he did tell me that the election is rigged. I just did not listen. How could I have been so blind to the truth? My perception led me to believe I was listening to and seeing reality. Abraham says, ‘What does reality have to do with anytime?'( She’s quoting Abraham Hicks. See website: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php).
“So, now what do I do? I was angry for 48 hours after the election. I contemplated moving to another country. The media I follow is very limited.â€
Char’s words express the thoughts of many. I’m reminded of a Zen saying: “Life isn’t always the way we want it to be, but it is what it is.†And when I accept that fact, I follow it with, So what is the next right thing to do?Â
Those who give advice about ways to cope with life (being human) also face their own moments of turmoil. Will the advice we give others work when WE ourselves need comfort and direction?
True to form, Sharon reached out to find her own New Story:
“I have realigned with who I really am and see that abundance, joy, and freedom abound in my world. Donald Trump is a being who has been called to do his best. What ‘his best’ is remains to be experienced.
“Life is good for me today. I have friends who love me, a man who treats me like a princess, family who support me, and serenity of mind. Abraham reminds me of a very important truth: When I maintain alignment with my higher self (higher power), I remember I am a child of God and all is well.â€
It does not matter what your beliefs might be, it takes courage to face challenges, uncertainty and dark days with hope for a better tomorrow. Chuck Long once told me, “Trust yourself, test yourself.†I’m not sure it the aphorism was original or borrowed, but it sure makes sense to me.
Confidence comes when action meets chaos. And, of course, chaos is another name for opportunity. That’s my New Story, and I’m sticking to it! So which opportunity will be embrace in order to write our own New Story?
May courage and hope guide your path,
Jan
PS. My Trust Journal is a tool I developed in order to quiet the many voices of doubt in your head. Check out my website for a full description. Trusts are affirmations on steroids and help you live your NEW STORY!