Stepping Outside the Story: Self-Care In Times of Fear and Confusion

"The mountains... are a passive mystery, the oldest of all. Theirs is the simple mystery of creation from nothing, of matter itself, anything at all, the given. Mountains are giant, restful, absorbent."~ Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

I am writing this piece for empathic or intuitive folks who have been feeling agitated by the collective energies during the shelter-in-place, even while practicing exquisite self-care.

No matter what one's personal opinion, political stance, or point of view, some of us are incredibly sensitive and can be especially hard hit when fear is intense in the collective. Even if we are protecting ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually, we can still be taken aback. It's the blessing and challenge of being empathic.

It’s important to take a moment to step outside the narrative of what we are reading, watching, listening to in the media. This is because the collective voice is often fear-based. There is a very strong belief that is corroborated by what we are “told,” what facts are pertinent, what is in fact “true.” In addition, prevailing themes popping up in social media may seem to point to the truth, but they are still only one thread possible among an infinite number of possibilities.

We can listen to our bodies, to our peaceful inner wisdom, to other ways of knowing. This is where direct guidance comes in.

Some folks feel reassured, more comfortable adhering to what popular leaders and scientists tell us – that gives a sense of safety, of security. I’m not here to disagree with that. I know that each and every one of us will behave and make choices in the manner that feels best for us.

Yet, some of us may feel as if we are tuned into another frequency. We see how much of society's decision-making and actions are fear-based. The truth is, as the Zen saying goes, if we truly want to be free, we need to live as if we’re already dead, unattached to any outcome or condition. When we squarely face the fear of death, we step outside of the collective narrative of what we’re told. We make decisions of what we put in our bodies, how we vote, how we raise our children, how we interact with family and friends – based on what is good and healthy and true for us in the Now.

Notice what is actually conditioning. Conditioning, when accepted as the ultimate reality, is bondage. The millisecond that one thinks they’ve “got it,” they’ve “got the answer,” the solution, the fix, the vaccine, the correct modus operandi, the full story, well – it changes, doesn’t it?

"The creeks...are an active mystery, fresh every minute. Theirs is the mystery of the continuous creation and all that providence implies: the uncertainty of vision, the horror of the fixed, the dissolution of the present, the intricacy of beauty, the pressure of fecundity, the elusiveness of the free, and the flawed nature of perfection." ~ Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

It’s all fluid. So how do we live?

We make the best choices we can, given the information and inspiration and resources available to us at the moment. The only thing that is ultimately Real is what is here. And now it’s gone. Why be attached to any of it - any concept, idea, statistic, condition?

Stepping Outside the Prevailing Story

If you're feeling off energetically, I invite you to investigate the narrative. To realize that it is a story that you are (a) being told, or (b) telling yourself. Can you drop both stories, or at least hold them lightly, understanding their eternally changing nature? Can you live outside story and see what happens in a raw, spontaneous fashion?

The way to live freely, is in the here and now. Whatever is needed is being revealed to you in this moment. Whatever is needed is NOT in the future, out “there” somewhere. It is not found in the past, either. It is here. And you can trust that you are being shown the way forward.

Come back to seeing conditioning. Come back to seeing that everything that we read or hear or watch, is always a relative truth, only partially true.

Step outside the story. Deconstruct any concept, including what I am writing. The moment something is named, it is only part of the picture. A "fact" can always be presented with a counter-fact. Remember the book many of us read in college, How to Lie with Statistics? There will always be another point of view.

I am not advocating that one think or believe a certain way about anything at all; quite the contrary. I am only suggesting that you have the freedom to question the narrative of what you’re being told. Even if it seems that your whole family, town, state - even if it seems the whole world feels one way, see that it is a collective story.

Fall back into the Now. Fall back into what is true, and good, and right for you. Just for today. Come back to the present moment, to What Is. From this place, peace is unshakeable, and you will always know exactly what to do next.

Erin Reese, M.S. is a contemporary intuitive, spiritual counselor, author and guide. A modern mystic with over thirty years of experience, Erin offers incisive, practical intuitive readings to her clients worldwide. She is a spiritual counselor, guide and mentor to those seeking an alternative to traditional psychotherapy or business coaching. For more information, visit erinreese.com.

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