"How can we be well in a world that feels so desperately unwell? These days, I'm asked this question all the time. Where do we find ground in a world that seems to be on a downward spiral at warp speed, nosediving into what feels like a groundless bottom? And furthermore, how do we create change in a system that has fundamentally changed, and in which all the old rules and methods for creating change no longer exist?"
"First, let me take a step back. Earlier this year, I received some not-so-great test results. They suggested some potentially scary things regarding my health. Since then, I've gathered more information and discovered that it's not as bad as I had thought and most likely will be OK. (Stay with me-this will connect with how to be well in an unwell world.)"
"But that afternoon, freshly infused with the aroma of mortality and my own vulnerability, my list of grievances and disappointments with those I love instantly melted. What had felt so pressing and disruptive hours before, and felt like it stood in the way of being loving and kind, none of it mattered, not even a smidge. It was as if I'd been catapulted from the contents of life to the larger context."
Questions arise about how to be well when the world feels desperately unwell and the old methods for creating change no longer apply. A personal health scare prompted a re-evaluation of priorities. Preoccupations with minor grievances and rehearsed conflicts dissolved in the face of mortality. Anger and the need to be right shifted into love, gratitude, quiet presence, and a desire to express love and kindness. The experience revealed a larger context beyond daily irritations and suggested that grounding comes from perspective shifts, appreciation of being alive, and deliberate kindness even amid systemic uncertainty.
Read at Psychology Today
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