Another week and the bad news continues — the systematic mistreatment of the most vulnerable, the dismantling of our democratic institutions, the gross corruption of this Regime, and the continued destruction of the natural world. It can feel exhausting.
But I want you to notice something. Just pause for a moment and turn your focus inward.
Notice that part of you that longs for a better world.
Take a deep breath, with a long exhale.
Notice that desire within you that wants to live in a just and ecological world, not just for yourself, but for all of those who are under attack right now, including the creatures of the planet.
At times, that drive for a better world may feel far away. Maybe at times you might even doubt that it is still there.
But no matter what happens, no matter what they do, no matter what they threaten, that desire will always be within you. That desire is part of you. It is the best part of you.
Your longing for a better world can be the source of your resilience, if you let it.
The problem is that your desire for a better world is also a source of your suffering. The gap between “what is” and “what ought to be” can be very painful. You are horrified by the injustice. Your heart breaks at the needless destruction of the earth. You feel anger, sadness, fear…
Most people try to deal with this pain by turning away, by distracting themselves, by “numbing out.” This approach is understandable, and at times necessary. But over time, it can lead to a disconnected, empty life robbed of its vitality. You haven’t been able to fully take this path. And that’s good.
Because the source of your suffering is also the source of your resilience.
Instead of numbing out, if you tune into that desire, if you listen to that voice, it will lead you to connection. That heartache that you feel is your connection to other people and to the planet. I feel that heartache too. Millions of people around the world feel that heartache.
Our "feeling bad when we see other people and other creatures suffer is the revelation of the truth of our interconnection. We are all interconnected and interdependent, so it makes sense that we hurt when we witness injustice and environmental destruction. As the I.W.W. labor union would say, “An injury to one is an injury to all.”
So what do we do with these feelings, with the heartache, the anger, the sadness? The best way to manage these feelings is to join with others and, in some small way, to work towards building a more just and ecological world. Through action, we can transform our emotional suffering into real-life gains for other people and the planet. We can transform heartache into healing.
You might feel like you are all alone, but you are not.
One thing you can do is share this newsletter or the podcast with a few people. Start a podcast listening group with the people who respond. Get together and support each other emotionally, and laugh together. Joy is so important in these difficult times.
From there, you can always form a study group, and that can lead to an affinity group (more on this later).
Or, you can plug into a local or national organization around an issue that is important to you. Personally, I’m involved in an immigrants’ defense organization to protect undocumented members of our community, and I volunteer to help restore natural habitat for pollinators and migrating birds.
Whatever you do, take action, no matter how small. Do something and watch what happens to how you feel. I bet you’ll notice good feelings right alongside the painful feelings. Feelings or joy, hope, wonder, love. Healing ourselves, our communities, and the planet is all interconnected. Let me know how it goes.
For more on this topic, Listen Now to Episode One: Ember of Resilience
I hope you will write about individuals whose lives and properties the data centers are destroying. These people need to connect with one another and find advocates.