Facing Fear

In 2025 we are in a global crisis driven by the dominant ruling class of the United States. We are “Facing Fear” every single day, flooded with news about decisions that impacts the survival of all life on Earth on every level; resource allocation; preservation of the natural environment; equitable support of the most vulnerable; and literal violent attacks - including erasure - for anyone who is not a rich, white, straight, cis-male without disabilities.

Never have our people been more polarized. Never has there been more at stake. 
Pictured here is Harvey Milk, (played by Sean Penn in the movie “Milk.”) looking triumphant, in front of a tattered American flag. If you do not know who Harvey Milk was, his life was not easy. He was a gay man in a time where it was illegal,. He started his activism journey for “gay” rights at the age of 40, eventually became the first openly gay man to hold public office in the United States, and lost his  life when he was assassinated by another man in office not even a year later. He fought to convey that there is no “American Dream” without equity for all people, and with the state of the United States right now, I believe the flag can only be portrayed as ripped and tattered.
Harvey knew it was dangerous to be so out, so open, so public, and fighting for the equal treatment of queer people in housing, employment and public accommodations.  Though he was warned, he had to do what he couldn’t  NOT do…what he knew in his bones was right, even though it put him at enormous risk. 

He is quoted as saying ““If a bullet should enter my brain may it let that bullet destroy ever closet door.” 

“Facing Fear”  invites us to look within, and step into doing what we can’t NOT do. I frame this in a double negative because often we are called into doing things we do not WANT to do. We are forced to engage with nightmares we would never choose for this world, having to use our precious lifeforce energy to fight for rights that “should” just be a birthright for all living beings on the planet.

In wise dialogue between Gandalf and Frodo in “Lord of the Rings:”
 “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
 “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

If “Facing Fear” has come into our consciousness today, we are being invited to take stock of what is happening with the world, of what our capacity is, and “decide what to do that the time that is given to us.”
We are being asked to reflect on what is really important to us and what impact we want to have  and leave on the world. There is no energy that is wasted, even if we do not get to see the dream of our efforts come into fruition in our lifetime. The energy behind every seed we sow begats a garden for the generations to come to take the torch and tend, rather than spending their energy getting it started. 

It is never too late to try. The movie Milk starts and ends with Harvey Milk saying:
“I am forty years old and I haven't done a thing that I'm proud of.”

There is a lot that happens for him, and for all impacted by him, in 7 years time. 
And as a final reminder to us all, please let's take good care of ourselves. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and we have to remember what we are fighting for. 

From Dan Savage:

"During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night.

The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for. It didn’t look like we were going to win then and we did. It doesn’t feel like we’re going to win now but we could. Keep fighting, keep dancing."

Points to Consider
What can shift in your life to increase your baseline capacity? Pick one thing and try it for two weeks, and notice how you feel. Some suggestions
Step away form social media
Limit time consuming news, and be mindful of your sources
Find outlets for positive news and happenings and make sure you are spending at least equal amounts of time engaging with them
Do a daily practice to center your nervous system (i.e. music, art, nature, walk, movement, being with animals etc) even if it is only for 5 minutes a day
What have you done that you are proud of, and what can you do right now to create change that you are proud of? (remember, feeding someone is something to be proud of!)