Energy Escalation

Become an energy master, and watch fear evaporate...

Returning home after a vacation in the mountains, the escalation of energies in the outer world is extra-ordinarily palpable. I’m sure you must be feeling it, too! Autumn is a time of year when I always feel some new momentum, as if our collective calendar really begins in September, when summer holidays come to an end and schools go back into session. But THIS particular September…is energetically unprecedented, it seems. So much that feels so important to so many people appears to hang precariously in the balance, and tensions are extremely high. How will these tensions resolve? What will happen next in our world?

As I feel all of this, I also simultaneously feel my power to choose how I respond, energetically. Will I allow my energy to be hijacked by worry and frenzied fear, or too much information, about things beyond my control? Or can I claim my agency, and consciously commit to a different, more empowered path? It’s truly hard, and perhaps nearly impossible, not to become ‘triggered’ by the many simultaneous and often conflicting events unfolding around us all. Even so, how we choose to respond to the triggers determines how we feel and how we function, as we live through these especially unpredictable and rapidly shifting times.

Our daily awareness of the quickly approaching U.S. elections is certainly feeding the tensions in a dramatic way, yet the outcome of that singular event is unfortunately not likely to solve the roots of our problems in a meaningful way. What it does do is it gives us a hook to hang our hope (or despair) upon, and a theatrical distraction from the deepest roots of the issues we face.

What are these deeper roots? Humanity as a whole has strayed so far from our connection to Nature, and so far from reliance on our intuition, inner wisdom, and spiritual guidance, that we cannot even see how deeply this has happened and how much this is responsible for our problems today. Most of our political leaders and candidates seem to have almost completely lost touch with these eternal guideposts, and have fallen instead into the abyss of cleverness, empty promises, and endless deceit and blame. So many citizens and voters have become so tribal now, that we can hardly have a productive or even civil dialogue across tribal lines about what really matters most, to us all. Tragically, in all the perpetual distraction, many may even have lost sight of that!

I believe that truly great leaders do rely on intuition, inner wisdom, and spiritual guidance. Because they are in touch with their intuition and inner/spiritual guidance, a true leader genuinely welcomes healthy dialogue and debate about all ideas, with anyone. While knowing their inner compass is true, they remain consciously open to learning and seeing, and do not feel threatened by opposing ideas or combative people. The effective leader remains grounded, honest, open, curious, strong and capable, even when surrounded by a whirlwind of dangerously escalating energies. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we had a president with this level of inner and outer integrity?

Each one of us is a leader in our own lives and families. It’s really important how we respond to difficult, combative, and escalating energies. When we take full personal responsibility by truly committing to daily practices that ground our own energy, and return us to our innermost essence of the high vibrations of love, compassion, peace, and kindness, we are much better equipped to navigate the whirlwinds around us with emotional poise. We can do our part to de-escalate the energies around us by first de-escalating and transmuting our own negative emotional charge.

My own experience has been that when I feel deeply centered in my spiritual essence which is ‘bigger’ than the physical reality I see, and in the inner compass-setting that is behind my perspectives and choices, I am not afraid to be challenged. I only become triggered or defensive if I feel self-consciously wobbly on who I am, or attached to being in the “right” position or needing to know or show exactly where I stand on an issue, demanding to be understood, and/or afraid to show my vulnerability. On the other hand, when I am centered in wisdom, unattached to my position winning, open to seeing other perspectives, open to uncertainty and change, clear on my healthy personal boundaries, and unafraid to be open-hearted, compassionate, and vulnerable….THEN I am truly a master of my energy, and there is no fear here.

It certainly helps to know myself in a bigger picture than the one that appears to be right at hand. The path of the spiritual warrior is one in which that larger perspective is never left behind for long. When we temporarily lose our way, or get swept up in negatively escalating energies, we soon set ourselves right again by remembering the spiritual presence - the conscious awareness - that we really are. From this ‘witness seat,’ we are able to see the illusory and temporary nature of things, and we can again bring wisdom, connection, and calm leadership to those around us who are unwittingly stuck in entrenched and ill-informed positions, and caught in the destructive misery of disconnection, divisiveness, and fear.

We are all students here, and we are all leaders too. It is wise to expand our capacity for self-compassion and humility, and to remember our shared humanity and our shared human values. If there is any “side” to take, it is the highest side of love, compassion, and connection. Connection to the eternal wisdom we all have access to if we decide to be conscious about it, connection to the oneness of all creation, and connection to our common desire to experience a healthy planet, and live a meaningful life.

It can feel so tempting to argue positions with those whom we believe are threatening our ‘right’ to a healthy planet or a meaningful life. It is so tempting to blame. Perhaps it is more effective to look for ways to inspire ourselves and each other to hold a larger perspective, reconnect to our common roots, calm our emotions, and then respectfully dialogue - with a faithful commitment to finding win-win solutions where solutions are needed. I learned while parenting my children that the win-win is always available, WHEN we are willing to put in the time and respect with ourselves and each other.

Mastering energy is a lifelong journey. Right now, we are all being offered an incredible opportunity to choose the master of all master classes! Really - how much more complex and inverted can our world get? Those of us who choose to sign up for the master class are aiming high - we will be asked to walk right into the fire and USE IT as the perfect experiential course material. Many people will not be ready to sign up to start learning how to master their energy. They will choose to remain as spectators and critics in the bleachers - and they might love the drama of the show, but in letting their fear win, they will miss one of the greatest opportunities to advance toward honestly earning inner peace.

BONUS CONTENT: I recently had the great pleasure of being interviewed for a great new podcast in Florida (started by a friend of mine from Michigan!) called “Yogi and the Beachman.” The three of us had a great conversation, live in studio, and covered a lot of ground. I think you are really going to enjoy this!