Back in the 70’s we used to wildly dance to the disco sensation “Freak out!” (actually called Le Freak by Chic if you want to download the magic). Here in the 2020’s, all of us are doing some version of the “freak out” dance as we navigate the pandemic, climate change, social unrest, warfare, etc., etc.
The rhythm of “freak out” is pulsing through our streets and businesses, our massive job losses, and a national and global future that is beyond our imagining. Our normal coping mechanisms are no match for the daily doses of “freak out” that keep coming our way.
These are days when we need the voices of the wise ones, those sages whose words call us into a different rhythm of being: Mary Oliver, Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron, Thomas Hubl, Dalai Lama, Byron Katie, Rumi, Maya Angelou, Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, not to mention Jesus, Buddha, Lao-tzu, and your favorite sages.
These awakened ones know that freaking out is a part of the human experience. They know that our human family has been through cycles of fear thousands of times before. They know there’s a way to engage fearful days with groundedness, and a wider, deeper knowing that is Spirit-fed.
Here are some of the lessons from the wise ones that are grounding me these days:
My fear and anxiety are to be tended and respected, as I would care for a frightened child, rather than medicated or disowned.
I can’t be fully present to my breath and anxious at the same moment. There is a peace that resides beneath my anxiety, that is as near as my next breath.
Hope is a current in consciousness that is strengthened by people who tune their ears, eyes, and hearts to the awakened ones and their enlightened thoughts.
The powerful mystery we call Love is woven through our evolving universe. Love uses the chaos of today to birth new possibilities for tomorrow.
The spiritual work that you and I have invested in over the years is a deep well to draw from in these days. We have what we need to be generous souls during these tense days. And if it’s helpful to “Freak out!”, do it on the dance floor!