Unforeseen Changes

Autumn, with all the spookiness & fun of Halloween, is one of my favorite times of the year. Who doesn’t enjoy indulging our shadow side as we playfully interact with monsters and the mysterious, realizing our deep innate connection to all of it?

Today, however, the scariest monsters are the ones we find surfacing from within ourselves as we live in a nation that is divided and spinning out of control. The loss of stability, security, and safety within our government, our jobs, and even our personal relationships can trigger those darker aspects of our personalities which we try to subdue and keep hidden.

When the temptation is strong to self-sabotage, to stop searching for truth, to judge those whom you used to lovingly embrace.... When you are tempted to let your inner monsters out in order to say and do the monstrous things that you never wanted to allow, because the damage may be irreparable...... DON'T.

As we embrace Autumn and all the fun and festivities of the holiday season, let's agree to put the inner monsters to rest. Make choices that fortify your inner strength. Love yourself and others deeply. When presented with emotionally-charged conversations, find the common ground and let that be the filter through which one another can be heard.

Change can be scary and disempowering. Division makes us weak. When everything is changing, anything is possible. Let's be stronger together, so that we can be an active force in shaping the future.

- Jeff Crawford "Nashville's Shaman®"