Feeling sensitive to the ups and downs of our world right now?

Like so many of you I’m sure, I have been feeling it all lately. One minute I’m uplifted, I know the gravity of this situation, but can still feel the spirit, the possibility, the interconnectedness of our world, hear the Italians singing in the streets, the penguins at the closed zoo wandering around meeting the other animals, the Earth receiving so much nourishment from this rain, seeing the Spirit of this world. The next minute I feel fear pulling at my heart, saddened by the hoarding of supplies, the elderly who need help, and the people who aren’t taking this seriously. It’s too much.

I sit down for my regular work schedule from home (though I always work from home anyway) and I can’t seem to function the same way I used to. It’s as though my heart is pulled between the Spirit of possibility, of how I can help, and doomsday. This is what it’s like to be a highly sensitive person living in a highly connected world when times are wildly unpredictable.

One minute your heart settles into your body, and the next in the middle of a regular task like responding to emails, I feel like I could cry. The back and forth is debilitating.

What I know for sure is this, compassion, and gentle vulnerability is the only answer right now. This is the best thing you, we, can do for ourselves right now. In order to show up with grace and ease for our world, in order to keep our bodies healthy, and be a leader in our communities, we must be practicing compassion and gentle vulnerability with ourselves and with one another. If you need to go cry in the middle of a task, go cry. If you need a dance party break to bring some laughter, and joy into your day, here’s my favorite dance song right now. (and check out my instagram LIVE story which has my dance party from yesterday for you to join in) Do not expect yourself to operate the same way you did last week or the week before. Things are different today, and as we adjust to what that means for our world, for your family, and for you personally, you need compassion, gentle vulnerability and grace.

There is only so much you can control and the rate of your heartbeat is one of those things.

Soften to your heart, listen to what you need and give in to you. Create boundaries. If you don’t like how you’re feeling on social media, turn your phone over, scream and then dance it out. If the news from friends and the articles they’ve read is too much for you, tell them you can’t hear about it anymore, you love them and ask what else you can talk about. Look for the compassion in the world, uplift those around you with stories of good, heartwarming stories. There is a lot of joy in uncertainty, sometimes you just have to seek it out.

We will get through this together, that I know. In the meantime, where can you call forward more compassion? And where are you being asked to be a leader for your community in bringing that forward? You are powerful, and right now your heart needs you, and your world needs you.

So take care of yourselves beautiful people. Stay healthy. Be there for one another. And I hope you know, I’m always here for you too.

All the love,

Jenna