Not sure about you, to me, the world is a crazy place these days and I am feeling this chaotic energy of anxiety (1 in 3 people suffer from it), drama, confusion, frustration … you name it. It doesn’t matter your opinion or feelings about what you see on the TV, read on the internet, or hear on the radio. What matters is that everyone is feeling this energy, reacting to this energy, and sometimes having to apologize for this reactionary lapse. You really didn’t mean to come across that way or say what you said … it just came out.
As I have found myself in this very situation with my loved ones, I want to stop the world and go live with Winnie the Pooh, eat tons of honey, and not worry about anything. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Yet, I can’t.
As Pooh says … what to do, what to do
What can you do to help keep sane during all of the chaos?
Let’s look at how the characters of A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh characters would deal with everything.
Let’s start with Eeyore, as he is my favorite. He is always a bit on the down side, which I feel more people are like that today because of the insecure world we are living in these days. Extreme weather conditions, horrific tweets/memes/comments on social media along with the amount of fear spewing from almost everyone. We are living in a world where lack is prevalent and seemingly growing … lack of love, lack of respect, lack of compassion, lack of concern. Do we really have to be here? Eeyore’s comment to all of this …
“A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.”
—Eeyore
Even in his down state, he is profound in his consideration for others. We can do that also.
Then there’s Piglet who always seems to be a bit fearful and anxious all the time. Not too different from what some of you may be feeling as anxiety is at an all time high … or so it seems. From Piglet, we get these wise words …
“Oh d-d-d-dear! I mustn’t f-f-f-fear!”
—Piglet
Even Piglet understands that fear is not productive during these anxious times.
Then, of course, let’s end with Pooh. Pooh is the happy go lucky bear that is in all of us. It seems as if he doesn’t have any worries in the world and life is fantastic. You may find yourself or other people drifting into this mode only to find yourself falling back into the patterns of Piglet or Eeyore. I believe Pooh says the most profound things …
“If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear. ”
—Winnie the Pooh
Pooh recognizes that listening is the greatest key to effective communication. We don’t need to agree … we need to listen.
For me, taking time to meditate daily, get outdoors for reflection, and be ever so grateful for each moment are just a few things that bring me back to a place of calmness and compassion for myself and everyone else. Take time to do this for you also. You are so worth it.
If any of this above resonates with you and you want to go deeper so you no longer have the anxiety, fear and reactionary moments, there’s still time to join the Get off the Fence coaching program. In this program, you will be learn how your stories impact your mindset today, how much your fear plays into the way you think and act, how to allow forgiveness for yourself and others so you are not kept a prisoner, and so much more. Click here to join … Get off the Fence