How to Counter the Bleak

When things in the world remain tumultuous

Morning on October 31st, looking east.

We’ve just passed Halloween (as I’m sure you are aware), and all of a sudden “the holiday season” appears to be in full swing, at least when I venture out from my little woodland refuge that is home (which isn’t often, so this always startles me). If you’ve gone into more than one commercial establishment—especially of the big box store variety—in the last few weeks, you’ve probably been bombarded with pumpkins of all sizes and materials, plastic decor of infinite variety, mountains of orange and black wrapped candy, and enough cheap costuming to clothe the entire country for a year…right next to Christmas trees of all sorts, more plastic decor (who needs an inflatable, light-up ______?!), and gift wrap for miles. The holiday season in dominant culture is serious business—frankly, it’s where many businesses make most of their money.

At risk of overgeneralizing: Commercialism abounds, it can be easy to get sucked into the frenzy even if you don’t like to shop, and good deals take attention from being content with what we already have. Too much is consumed too quickly. There are more excuses than usual for why exercise isn’t on the to-do list. For many modern humans, “the holidays” mean putting on weight, being stressed out, spending too much money, and throwing in the towel until January. Multi-tasking abounds. We get snippy with our loved ones, our neighbors put up lights that are too bright, and we hope the time goes quickly. It can feel like the opposite of celebration when dominant culture calls the shots.

And on top of that it’s election season! (Find your polling place here: Vote.org) Stakes are high, tensions are too, and everything feels urgent. As I write in Collisions of Earth and Sky, “It’s tempting to keep refreshing your news tabs and tweet and comment and scroll until your eyes bug out. What could go wrong next? There’s a lot swirling around out there. Much of it isn’t good news. Everything wants attention and everyone wants to ensure everyone else knows they’re on the right side of history. Communities are divided and tension is high. People are both easily distracted and hyper-focused.”

Things in the world remain tumultuous. Events in recent weeks, months, and years have left people feeling unsettled and anxious about what might happen next. I wonder about what will take place in the days and weeks and months to come. It’s hard not to feel at least a bit of trepidation when “unprecedented” remains the media’s chosen descriptive tool and new astonishing headlines seem to appear every time you refresh the page.

This all feels pretty bleak, right? Rampant consumerism commandeering seasonal celebrations and meaningful ritual. Politicians and their smear campaigns. Being too busy to feel rooted in your own life. And so on. Ugh.

Despite all the “ughs” that can come with living in somewhat bleak and “unprecedented times”, I find a bit of solace by accepting a few simple things: that most of what’s going to happen on the world stage in the coming days and weeks is outside of my direct control. But how I respond to whatever does come to pass remains in my grasp. Unprecedented or not. Desired outcome or not. And the tiny, intentional practices that keep me grounded and able to respond how I want to respond are small enough to pick up again if I stumble and lose my grip.

How I show up in my day. What I give my attention to, and where I extend my energy. How I watch the steam rising from a hot cup of tea, and how I savor the first sip. What I spend my first and last moments of the day engaged in. The language I use and the words I choose to ask for what I need and extend what I have to give. The way I notice the crunch of snow underfoot and the tiny tracks left by my non-human neighbors. The prayer I whisper into the plume of candle smoke. The love I give. The love I accept. The boundaries I set. The boundaries I honor. The values I live by, and the willingness to peer, even if just for a little while, at something from someone else’s perspective.¹

These things are there for you, too, in whatever incarnation and combination works in your life, to hold onto as we step into the void of tomorrow.

***

I like to return to these words around Halloween, or Samhain as the ancient Celts called this time of gathering dark:

When the veil

between worlds is thin

it’s time to celebrate harvest

and all of those who came before

as marching toward darkness

reminds us how shadows

and their spirits

offer a sense of wholeness

to the wheel of the year.

***

So, anyway, if there is any sort of gift in all of the uncertainty that comes with being alive on planet Earth at this moment in history, in the gathering dark, in the space between, perhaps it is a chance to look at where our power lies. A chance to slow things down enough during the average day to see opportunities for change. A chance to build the capacity to cultivate life-giving soil and nourish our roots. A chance to discern what truly matters to us—and stand for it, no matter what. A chance to see flickers of shadow and light and step into the dance with them. A chance to walk the thin line between worlds as we build the new one that offers beauty and joy for all. No matter what happens next.

Directions to a More Beautiful World

Imagine a bridge

between water and sky

then take one step

after another

until you meet

justice and restoration

keeping company

with love and belonging.

Then keep walking

toward peace.

1. This passage is also in Collisions of Earth & Sky.