My six-month contract coaching newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis patients weekly ended in February. What an honor to support them through the overwhelm, grief, and disruption this disease caused them and their families. Simultaneously, their resilience, clear values, priorities, deep dive learning, and commitment to living their healthiest life was so inspiring.

For me there is a parallel to the sweeping dismantling of the constitutional process in this country in recent days. Across the globe we are watching the strength and stability of American democracy shift into authoritarianism.

Like my MS clients, I have turned to my Center Within to be intentional about my choices. Kindness, focus on community and support systems, willingness to be with what is occurring, knowing every person counts are top of heart. Taking lessons from my clients, I am processing the grief I am experiencing living through the upheaval and challenges we are all facing.  

We can make choices that encourage transparency, compassion, interdependence, abundance and sustainability. As always, this process begins with each of us. As Mahatma Gandhi told us:

“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.“

~ Living From the Center Within: Co-Creating Who You Are Becoming, Page 71

How do we continue to develop emotional intelligence and resilience through inspiration and grief? 

“As we develop emotional intelligence, we become more self-aware, resilient, socially aware, empathetic and calm.“

~ Living From the Center Within: Co-Creating Who You Are Becoming, Page 64

How do we cultivate resilience?

“Other qualities worth cultivating include tolerance, forgiveness, hope, altruism, forgiveness, compassion, honesty, creativity, balance, resilience, patience, acceptance, openness, empathy, love, kindness, compassion, acceptance, forgiveness, appreciation, equanimity and open-heartedness.“

~ Living From the Center Within: Co-Creating Who You Are Becoming, Page 104

Invitation to Practice

Choose one of the following qualities and focus on practicing it continuously for two days. Write and/or draw about your experience. You can repeat this exercise, changing words every two days. Add your own qualities you would like to expand in your life.

Qualities of I am Interconnected

● Non-judging: impartial witnessing, observing the present, moment by moment without evaluation and categorization

● Non-striving: non-goal oriented, remaining unattached to outcome or achievement, not forcing things

● Acceptance: open to seeing and acknowledging things as they are in the present moment. Acceptance does not mean passivity or resignation, rather a clearer understanding of the present so one can more effectively respond

● Patience: allowing things to unfold in their time, bringing patience to ourselves, to others, and to the present moment

● Trust: trusting both oneself, one’s body, intuition, emotions, as well as trusting that life is unfolding as it is supposed to

● Openness: seeing things as if for the first time, creating possibility by paying attention to all feedback in the present moment

● Letting Go: non-attachment, not holding on to thoughts, feelings, experiences; this does not mean suppressing

● Gentleness: characterized by a soft, considerate and tender quality; this is not passive, undisciplined or indulgent

● Generosity: giving in the present moment within a context of love and compassion, without attachment to gain or thought of return

●  Compassion: the quality of feeling and understanding another person’s situation in the present moment, his or her perspectives, emotions, actions, and being with them without needing to fix, judge or change the person or the situation

● Gratitude: the quality of reverence, appreciation and being thankful for the present moment

● Loving Kindness: a quality embodying benevolence, compassion and cherishing; a quality filled with forgiveness and unconditional love

~ From Living From the Center Within: Co-Creating Who You Are Becoming, Page 104

We are ready for radical change. We have systems that are broken. In my meditations, I see the destruction team will not be our rebuilding team. WE, those who know the interconnected nature of ourselves and all who share this planet are the ones being called to step up and co-create who we are becoming? Are you ready?