By Dr. Dina Evan

It seems as if it’s Halloween every day lately, there’s always the next thing to be worried and scared about. Whether it’s interest rates, housing prices, crime, unethical elected officials, COVID strains, new virus’s or global warming, there’s always something scary on the horizon. So, here’s my favorite question. What is this here to teach me…us?

The first thing I think of is some personal responsibility. We, YES, YOU AND ME, WE, created all of this by believing there was a they, that would take care of all of it and us — and we got addicted to believing it wasn’t our job. Now we are discovering the they is US! We need to make sure we are doing what is necessary to keep the planet clean, stay healthy and sober, elect ethical politicians and other officials, and create term limits for those who are not. We also need to begin to address the belief we are all separate from each other. There’s only one of us…one human family on this planet, and we are making it very scary to live here. So what do we do?

I think we start small by connecting with at least one person with kindness every day. We get serious about reducing the use of plastic and containers that are not recyclable. We do the research on those running for office or being elected and not just by sitting in front of the TV and watching the ads, which are seldom accurate and often created by the opponent. We need to pull up our choices of candidates and see their voting history and make sure what they are advertising isn’t just to get a vote, but is instead, a value they live by. 

That goes for us as well. We need to make sure we are living our own values and we are on purpose. I think one of the reasons this is happening is to wake us up and we start living our purpose. That means it’s time to ask what is it you came here to do and if you are not doing it, when do you intend to start?

What does living on purpose really mean?

It means you are standing in your integrity, even when it’s hard. It means you tell the truth. It means you feel compassion for others. It means you step up with courage and speak up when you need to right a wrong. It means you slow down and listen to your inner wisdom and stop doubting yourself. It means you express humility and humanity regardless of the person’s color, belief system, nationality, sexual identity, or anything else that is different from you. It means you allow yourself joy and kindness and love, and you share it as well.

Okay, okay, I know his sounds like a big order, right? Well, look at it this way. There are 7.97 billion people in the world at this moment. If even ½ of one percent of us started with one conscious action every day, i.e., one act of kindness, one trip grocery shopping with no plastic in the cart, one smile at the person we decided wasn’t worth our time and energy, one half hour to research our candidates, buying one less thing we don’t really need…one conscious act…we could change the world forever. And the next day maybe we could do two things and slowly add to our list until being awake becomes our way, my way, your way of life. It’s really not that hard!

Together we can make this world less scary

Together we change the trajectory and leave a home for our children’s children. We can change the energy from this low frequency of self-absorption and selfishness to one of unity and hope. No it’s not a pipe dream. It’s a necessity, right now for you and for me. Join me and let me know how it’s going. I am here to support you in any way I can. Let’s turn this scary time and place into sacred time and place together with what we do best…one day at a time and a lot of love.

Dr. Evan is a marriage, family, child therapist and consciousness counselor. She has presented nationwide seminars and workshops, written several books and created meditation CDs for couples, individual and mental health professionals. Visit drdinaevan.com or call 602-571-8228