Cultivating Hope Amidst The Chaos

It’s 2019. Hope is a commodity that’s hard to come by and even harder to keep hold of. I mean, just scan my Twitter timeline and see what I’ve retweeted in the past 24 hours and you’ll understand where I’m coming from.

“Why are you on Twitter? Nothing positive is happening there!” That’s the refrain I hear when I mention Twitter. Or someone will say “people are still on Twitter?” Like it was the Myspace of our generation and why are people still there? Or people just say, “I don’t pay attention, it makes me [sad, angry, overwhelmed, etc]. “Yea, no shit. It’s no picnic, but how do you walk through the day ignorant? How do you not know/understand what the people you elected are doing in your name?” That’s the answer I internalize as I change the subject.

Buckleup, buttercup. Yes, people are on Twitter. Climate experts, leading journalists, politicians, policy makers, non-profits, activists, freedom fighters, economists, writers, artists— we’re all on Twitter. We’re all keeping our fingers on the pulse of the destruction of our society and our planet so you can keep going to your baby showers and your weekends in Vegas.

And if you’re not staying in tune with what’s happening in the world, you’ll be blindsided when the military rolls into your town and shuts down the streets. When a president fails to peacefully hand over power after losing an election (spoiler alert, 45 has already openly stated he won’t leave office— in public, in the media and on the record). Or when the next hurricane slams into a flooded Mississippi River basin and wipes out the ability to plant crops for a season.

Yes, I’m pissed. I don’t particularly enjoy tapping into the pulse of the world each morning to double check to make sure we’re not:

• at war
• under martial law
• under the gun of a massive weather event
• insert your chaos du jour.

Most days, I login to twitter and it’s just one giant shitshow of humanity at its worst. I search for the hope. I find dog memes and kitty videos amidst the steaming piles of political dung and I manage to keep a little bit of hope growing.

And yes, I struggle to hold onto that hope. But honestly, I’m a pretty hopeful person most days. The people closest to me probably wouldn’t agree, but internally, I’m pretty chill. I don’t really internalize or get emotional about all of this. I don’t live in fear of it. I simply am aware of what’s happening and I’m prepared mentally for what’s to come.

And yes, I get my panties twisted on some days, but that’s normal. Yes, staying this in tune with the world does leave me in a state of lower energy. Yes, I’m aware that it’s not super healthy.

But it’s MY duty as a citizen to pay attention. It’s YOUR duty as a citizen to pay attention. It’s OUR duty as citizens to bear witness, understand what’s happening and stand up when injustice permeates all the things. Just look at Puerto Rico. Two weeks of massive protests in the streets forced their Governor to resign yesterday. And their protests were vibrant, beautiful and peaceful. They even held massive yoga events as protest!

For those who haven’t been paying attention, we’re in the final stages of fascism taking complete control. This isn’t hyperbole, it’s an actual thing. Scholars who’ve studied fascism in historical contexts have lists that show the path towards fascism. The list below bounces around social and was first seen at US Holocaust Museum. Hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but we can check off most of this list. We’re at the bottom of it now, the final stages before fascism takes complete control.

Image is from andreasmoser.blog, uploaded just in case the blog ever goes dark. 'Cause blockchain is forever and this list should be placed in the "amber" for the rest of time.

So, I ask you, are you prepared? Have you done the mental work of taking a stoic approach to understanding what’s to come? Have you walked through the worst-case scenarios? Have you made plans for you and your loved ones? Have you taken a good hard look at your life and prepared to let much of it go?

If not, now’s the time. And here’s the clincher, if by some miracle, we right our political ship and restore normalcy in the next 18 months, we’re still staring down the barrel of a loaded gun called the Climate Crisis. It’s 79 degrees here in the South (US)— in July— and 106 degrees in Paris. The Arctic is literally on fire. We are months away from the point of no return on the climate.

Cultivating Hope

Here’s how I keep my hope. And here’s how I think we can all keep our hope. I do yoga. Alot. I work with crystals. Alot. I stay grounded and read ancient spiritual texts from philosophies and religions I connect with— Buddhism and Taoism. I try to internalize the fact that we just have this present moment. I don’t always succeed, but I try.

And now, in 2019 and into 2020, I’m taking a bigger leap. I’m embarking on a deep spiritual and holistic training to prepare for the future. I’m embracing my spiritual path on a deeper level. I’m going to learn how to grow shit and how to wildcraft. I’m embracing self-sufficiency and stepping away from entrepreneurship. I’m stepping out of the patriarchal capitalistic system I grew up in and moving into something different.

What? I’m not exactly sure. Live Simple Lab is definitely part of that next chapter. A community of people seeking simplicity so we can elevate our consciousness and raise our communities up with us. Publishing here on #Steemit and trying to become part of the amazing offgrid and homesteading communities is also part of my hope.

Embracing simplicity is our starting point. Cultivating the spiritual is a point of evolution. Supporting each other is how we elevate.