STANDING LOUD

This has been a rough period of time for so many people.  The past several years, the past ten really, have held levels of struggle worldwide beyond that which many of us had envisioned before.  We've been tested, many of us to depths we didn't imagine possible and I don't feel many were prepared for this. 

Our culture ten and twenty years ago was more focused on pretending everything was perfect than on learning how to navigate through complex emotions and difficult life situations.  I believe we have grown since then, yet many were battered and bruised a bit by the experiences that have occurred and still are occurring  and it's time to start the healing. 

When we go through a lot of strain for a long time, we can develop post traumatic stress, this can cause us to FORGET that who we are is valid, strong, capable and resilient.  Within a culture that inherently avoids emotional conflict, this can become a lonely place and my heart hurts for those struggling this way.  I wish for a society where we honor all of the emotions of life as all of them help us to become the empowered individuals we can be.  Emotional resilience is a requirement of a healthy life and we cannot get there if our instinct is to try to ignore what we or others are feeling in order to stay 'safe'.  Emotional have a way of building up and sneaking up on us.  We need to start listening.

Once we are past a certain age, most of us have had consistent periods of trauma.  Some of us have been lucky enough to have a supportive system of people to help us through the period.  However, most people unfortunately don't have this and become reclusive instead, choosing to hide and rest instead of being around people that don't really support them, or don't do so in a way that FEELS like support.  

I wrote this poem as a sort of personal statement as I believe in the power of words to heal and empower us.  I believe as well that we need to hear others remind us of our own power sometimes.  I believe in your warrior spirit, I believe in your ability to come back from the trauma, and I believe that there will be a time the sun will shine consistently again and when that time comes, you will be ready and having walked through the fire, the sun will feel even better than before.  I hope you feel the sun today and remember who you are beyond all of the discomforts and challenges is a powerful soul worthy of love, worthy of dreaming and meant to be here.  Namaste.

***PS, I made this one a graphic to be printed should you wish to print it for a daily reminder.