Oct

21

FEAR IS CONTAGIOUS & SO IS HOPE

Filed Under COVID-19, Election, Fear, Grace, Gratitude, Happiness, Hope, Peace, Tears of a Warrior, Vote | Comments Off on FEAR IS CONTAGIOUS & SO IS HOPE

by Janet J. Seahorn, Ph.D.

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There is so much turmoil going on in our country and our world right now. It is hard to find one’s compass to guide us to our best self.  Finding our way through the dark takes a great deal of soul searching, patience, and deep examination of our thoughts, beliefs, and values.  I must admit over the last many months I have often questioned the direction we are all heading, and it scares me more than a little.

Hike

A few days ago, needing a change of scenery and a chance to get away from the toxic smoke of several wildfires in our area, my husband and I along with our two energetic black labs took a day trip up to the Snowy Range in southern Wyoming. While driving through Laramie I noticed two large billboards.  One was of Malala Yousafzaui, the young Pakistan teenage girl shot by the Taliban because she was vocal about women’s education; the huge word COURAGE was the message. The second said, “FEAR IS CONTAGIOUS, SO IS HOPE”. Both got me thinking, what else is contagious? What else needs our courage?

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Joy, laughter and smiles are contagious and need courage to keep us going. Kindness, compassion, and generosity are contagious. Truth, unity, and goodness can be contagious but in these divisive times will take a great deal of courage.  Courage among our leaders to be truthful. Unity to help heal a much divided nation, and Goodness – the goodness and courage it will take every second of every day to keep us grounded in what is important and focused on what is decent.

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Protecting our environment will take an intense commitment to do what is right for future generations – even when we won’t be around to participate and hopefully enjoy. Speaking up when necessary and staying quiet when appropriate take courage and may help us not focus on creating more FEAR but growing more HOPE.

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In a time when we are angrier and more divided than ever, what will it take to hold our families, our neighborhoods, our country, and ourselves together? It will take each of us holding a higher standard for ourselves and each other that goes far beyond political beliefs. If we are truly “One Nation Under God” or whoever one might call a higher spirit, we can’t merely say the words; we must ACT and LIVE the words.

Rays of Hope

Yes, Fear truly is contagious, but for me, I will choose Hope, because this is not my United States of America, this is OUR United States of America.

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