Finding Security In An Insecure World
©2003 All Rights Reserved
“I am secure,” I have thought many times in my life. So why am I now fearful for my children, my life, my parents, my community and my country? Is it the instability of the economy? Is it insecurity about my country going to war? How can I regain my bearings today so that I can do my job, relate to others effectively and restore my feelings of calm?
We all fall into insecurity at times in our lives. We all let our fears multiply faster than our dreams, our dreams to be happy, secure and productive. And in this time of war, we wonder if it is even realistic or appropriate to talk or think about our desires, let alone pursue them.
I would like to suggest that it is not only appropriate to pay attention to such wishes but also highly practical and particularly appropriate in this unsettled time. The more we can stay centered on the part of us that knows calm, peace and purposefulness, the more we can share those qualities with those around us and the world.
Recapturing Resiliency
How can we turn our attention from our fears to that innate part of our self that has the capacity to feel peace and security and to express that purposefully? First we can be willing to see that there is such a part of us and not to deny it when the world around us seems to be falling apart. It is the resilient, joyous part that leaps at the sound of our child’s laugh, smiles at the morning sun and knows that all, no matter what, is really well.
This is our resiliency, our true nature. It is never destroyed, only temporarily set aside or covered up. Our capacity to respond to danger with clear thinking, to be compassionate and to continue to be productive individuals even during difficult times is simply part of our birthright as sentient human beings. And it is this quality or aspect that we can notice, nurture and outwardly express in this time of insecurity.
The Power of Choice
What it takes is choice. Making a choice to see, feel and bring out our natural resiliency daily, moment by moment. To take a breath and quietly ask our self to step up and show its real resilient self even as the media or our co-workers, friends and family bleat out fearful messages or excited opinions.
What we choose to think and bring forth from inside creates our own experience. Cumulatively, which thoughts and feelings (fearful or resilient) we choose to
most notice and nurture creates what we call our “life.”
That is the power of choice, and each of us has it. It is the ONE thing we do each have within our power and control. It is the basis for experiencing security undisrupted by the world’s fear, processing information untainted by world-view, and love uninterrupted by anger or heated discussions.
Making Choices that Support Resiliency
How does a choice to support our calm and peace play out practically? What does it look like? Imagine a moment in a work or social setting when your companions begin a debate on the state of the world. You have a choice here. You can engage in the conversation (or not) in different ways by asking yourself what type of engagement would support your desire to experience peace and calm and which would not. The answer will be different for each person asking, but there will come forward an idea for a response that is based from resiliency—just from the asking. It will come, and, if you choose, you will respond in a way that will support your peace.
Another example is the simple choice to read the newspaper, to watch the news or not, how much to read or watch of it. Here again, ask yourself: “what would support my desire to nurture my peace, feel secure and be productive?” Then pause and listen for a moment. You’ll know what to do, how much to read, etc. When you are in a low mood or feeling like it is easy for you to be knocked off balance, you may not want to read controversial material or engage in certain discussions. This is not denial, but simply choosing when, where, and how much to entertain these thoughts in your life. Your wisdom will know the difference.
Eventually these choices become automatic and the old pattern of ‘riding the wave’ of a fearful thought gone awry will become a habit of the past.
In Summary—
To nurture and express your innate peace and your desire to be resilient you can:
• Remember that you are resilient by nature and you can never lose it.
• Cherish your true dreams and desires.
• Claim the power of your choices and exercise this power moment by moment.
• Reflect on the effects of those choices on the quality of your life and those around you.
By Joseph Bailey, author of forthcoming,
Slowing Down to the Speed of Love and other books, public speaker and consultant to organizations.
