The world has been mesmerized in recent weeks by the aggressive war in Ukraine initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin. I will leave aside commentary on that war in this post. Suffice it to say this is a situation that could have and should have been avoided, but here we are.
The question at hand is how do we deal with the horrific scenes coming out of Ukraine and the fears of this escalating into war between nuclear-armed powers? In many ways, it feels like the nightmare we avoided during the 50 years of the old Cold War.
Here are five ways you can deal psychologically with this situation.
- Know your limits – There’s wall-to-wall news coverage on the current horror and speculation on what could happen next. Know when you’ve had enough. Turn it off. You can’t expose yourself to this all day long day after day and expect to stay mentally sound.
- Do something constructive – Many feel helpless and a need to “do something.” Figure out a way to help. Donate some money or food. Go volunteer with a group helping over there. Do something to make a positive difference. It can help alleviate that helpless feeling.
- See a positive outcome – There’s massive amounts of worry and angst that this awful situation could get even worse, even turn into World War 3. The world and the situation need a large number of people not giving into that energy and staying focused on a positive outcome to this situation.
- Look for opportunities – One of my favorite Einstein quotes is, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” What’s going on right now is horrible, but where’s the opportunity? What do I mean? One of the biggest things we can do in a situation like this is learn from the mistakes that led to it. That’s hard to do in the moment, but we must understand that there were ways on all sides to prevent this outcome. We must understand how we missed those and make sure, when we are given the next chance, we don’t miss them again.
- See the beyond – This one is related to the previous two. This situation will end at some point. All events – positive and negative – change the landscape of our reality. Fortunately, we have a say in what those changes are. Let’s begin now seeing what is possible for a new and better future coming from this situation. Let’s create the energetic gravity NOW for that better situation.
Finally, I’d say this. The hatreds and divisions forming because of this situation will have to be released when this is over. That will be hardest for the people most affected – the Ukrainians – but we must do it. Those hatreds have no place and no purpose in that better situation in the future. They only serve to continue pulling us backward just as this war is attempting to do.
Wherever you are on your journey today, know that you are awesome!
Ray
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