Carol Mann - Your Cosmic Café

<< all blog articles

Be In The Fear-based World And Not Of It

Lately people have been asking how to cope with the amount of upsetting events in the news. Here is a perspective and some suggestions which might help.

When the daily news has you stressed out, keep in your awareness that the collective reality of our world at the moment is fear-based. Therefore, as representatives of the fear-based collective, the media’s job is to report on and deliver a daily update of things about which to worry. They get an A+ in keeping fear alive. The news is merely a reflection of a reality structure based on fear. It is a not a personal thing.

When we get emotionally reactive about what is on the news, when our opinions chime in, when we take personally what is represented on the news, when we start getting mad or sad or scared…(talking back to the television, as I often do) ...guess what! We just got hooked. We want the reality to be different from what it is and what it is designed to be. We are fighting against what is. We are upset, stressed and the fight or flight chemistry in our bodies is activated. Now our energy is inadvertently contributing big time to the fear-based matrix. Ouch.

What to do?

1. Be more of an observer. Watch the news as information about what's going on in the polarized world of the fear-based reality. It can be useful to be informed. It is possible to care 100% and at the same time to consciously let your opinions and emotions move through like weather.The combination of caring, engaging and letting go leaves you clear and healthy.

2. Time it right. If you are tired and/or feeling emotionally vulnerable, don't subject yourself to the predictable barrage from the news (or a violent film, or TV show). Be aware that fear is addictive.Rather than getting sucked in, do something else.

3. Select books, films, programs which are inspiring because our humanity prevails…these themes open the heart, soothe the soul, inspire and support connection with who you really are.

4. Laugh often. Laughter, which is not at someone else's expense, breaks up negative emotions and stress.

5. Be the change you want to see.

Add comment

There are 7 comments

Chris wrote:

Don't think it's the wordly thing to do, or perhaps the cosmic thing. Try Christ. Confess him as your personal savior, if you haven't, or put faith in Him, not my words, but your relation to Him.

Steve Teicher wrote:

Thank you for perspective on a world that seems all gloom. I often think of visiting you and Lobo as an antidote to the nightly news. I hope we visit you again next summer.

Carol Scoville wrote:

This has been a challenging year for me to not get hooked by the negativity in the daily news. I like to stay somewhat informed especially as an election year rolls around Usually I can let negativity roll off of me quite quickly. Not so this year. Reading the above suggestions on how to handle it is just what I needed read and meditate on today! Sending love--Carol

lance wrote:

post more articles and radio shows carol!

Todd wrote:

Love It ! Yes, Love is All There Is -- and coming from the Heart it creates change. A new mantra for me is 'A Change of Heart Is the Heart of Change'. Carol - Thank you always,

Carol wrote:

HI Gary,
I like the idea of grace...the way you define it. I always think of grace as a state of being which allows things to be experienced as fresh and new in every moment, allowing for a lot of wonder and the ability to travel light! Child-like (not childish).

I still prefer courage as the antonym to fear because the word courage comes from the French coeur or Latin cor, which mean heart. It makes sense to me that in the presence of a lot of heart, there is no room for fear. I know from research and personal experience that fear closes the heart, and an open heart connects to love. So maybe love is the antonym afterall!

Love,
Carol

Gary wrote:

I read this article a while back and didn't feel that I had much to add. Today I finally had a couple of neurons that fired simultaneously and came up with the following. What would you consider the antonym of fear. Courage comes to mind first but I would like to propose that " grace" might also be appropriate. My definition of "grace" would be someone who moves through life with a certain ease, usually someone who has faced significant adversity in life but instead of becoming angry and resentful seems to find greater inner strenght which is usually evident to everyone around them. They generally listen more thatn they talk and are able to give advice without
seeming patronizing. So today I told myself that I will strive for "grace" as I try to face my multiple fears. Good evening to all.
Gary