I feel as though this is a common question for a lot of people right now. We are hearing so much of climate change and it all sounds so horrifying. I am scared of the future, I used to be a very optimistic fun loving person. Now my days are filled with worry and depression. I get excited about things and then feel as though there is no point to getting excited because everything is just going to be taken away.i am a young mother and I feel guilty for bringing my very young children into this world, and wonder why we are here at this time to experience such uncertainty. I know I should not live in fear as this is not healthy for myself, my family or the earth, but I’ve almost become obsessed with being consumed by dread. I have days where I know in my heart that there is hope, and that we could also be living in a very exciting time where the human race will come together and respect our mother and go good. But that feeling is always fleeting. Is there anything that we can hold onto or do to get things on a positive level? I daily bless the beautiful things I see, the trees, the ocean, the rain, the sun. I am blessed to be alive but right now I am not enjoying it in a world of such turmoil. I feel even more overwhelmed as I have just read about the post on your blog about events in 2017/18 that will be catastrophic. How can we stay positive when there is so much fear and negativity? A.
I won’t insult you by saying, “Don’t be afraid.” We cannot get rid of fear via logic or reasoning.
But, we can face fear with ‘heart’. We can face fear with that which is in our heart – especially if what is in our heart is love – in any form – for anyone or anything. And the love you mentioned in your heart is the love you have for your children (and the things in life which you see each day and bless.) So, I ask you a question. Do you love them enough – to have courage – progressing in your life with them one day at a time? Do you love them enough – to pray for them and you – taking life and praying one day at a time? Do you love them enough – to try to do the best you can for their sake and yours – doing this one day at a time? Do you love them enough to try one day at a time, and demonstrate to them how to take one day at a time so that they will learn observing your example? I venture your answer is in the positive, and this is where the ‘positive’ begins.
If we ask ourselves any of these questions in any form at all, we are asking the right questions. The issue at hand isn’t ‘what are we going to face in the future’. There will always be troubles. Human beings in this Earth have always faced challenges and troubles. Always. Every epoch of time.
The issue is ‘what are we going to have in our hearts, when we face what life presents us.’ If we have love in our hearts in any form or for anyone or anything God has created for us, then we have that which is the greatest force of all existence. If we have love in our hearts, we have our Creator in our hearts – the Creator who offers unending support, unending guidance, unending ingenuity, unending insight, unending readiness, unending understanding of what we go through and face, and unending willingness to be here for us – and all one day at a time.
You’re a parent. As with almost all parents all over the world, you wonder and worry about your children and the future of the world. As well you should. Have pity for anyone who has children and doesn’t care about their future or the world they will live in.
Just remember, like putting on a pair of socks, we face the task doing it one foot at a time. Like eating our daily meals, we take one bite at a time. Like going to work, to get there, we drive one mile at a time. Like taking in Oxygen into our lungs, we breathe one breath at a time. Like going to school, we take it one grade at a time. Like living our life, we face what life has to offer one day at a time.
All of us already have been learning what Christ has been teaching – “take life one day at a time – let tomorrow worry about itself.” This is also a principle of the 12-step programs, in many other healing modalities, as well as also in the Edgar Cayce Readings – written as “Do today what is in your lap today to do.” This guidance exists as part of all good guidance and for good reason.
“Caretakers” by artist Mark Wagner
Living in the Earth is not an easy thing to do. We do it with family, sometimes. We do it with friends sometimes, with support sometimes, but with God’s willingness to guide us and help us – all the time. We’re in this world – we’re in this life – we’re in this ‘boat’ together. When you get to feeling like the world is too much or you have to face the future and the world alone, let someone know (that includes God). Again, we’re all in this together – whether we know what we’re doing or not.
Meanwhile, for you and for all of us, one day at a time, we can let our children know that love exists in the world – not through words, but by showing them what we have in our hearts. A world where love exists is one of the best worlds of all in which anyone can live. A world where love exists is a world to keep alive and growing in this love. A world where love exists is a world very much worth living in.
God bless you and your family.
*******
“When Love is present, God is present.” (The Rainbow Cards, ©, 1985-2015, Jodie Senkyrik)
“When we love someone, we’ve added to God’s presence in the world.” (The Rainbow Cards, ©, 1990-2015, Jodie Senkyrik)
A Psychic's View of . . . 
Jodie, thanks for the insightful post. Mindfulness and living in the present is certainly very important. According to the Buddha’s Infinite Life Sutra, our problem is that we are always haunted by the past and worried about the future.
Moreover, I believe that our current times are only uncertain because we allow it to be. Our destiny is our own to control. For instance, if we let go of the steering wheel of our car, every single second in the car becomes frightening, however, there is nothing stopping us from grabbing the steering wheel and reasserting control.
According to Ven Master Hsuan Hua’s Commentary on the Buddha’s Shurangama Sutra (I posted a longer excerpt of this in a previous comment):
“…..So then Qin Tien Jian bowed to the emperor. “You are truly a just emperor. With so much good in your heart, I am certain that you will not die. There has been an evil omen, but it can change and become auspicious.” And the next day the evil omen disappeared. It is clear from this incident that although evil omens manifest, the evil can be transformed into something lucky. It all lies in a single thought of people’s minds. If in a single thought you change, then what might have been evil can turn into something auspicious. The practice of lighting incense and reciting the Buddha’s name before something is about to happen is another method for bringing about a change. Calamities and blessings lie in a single thought to change. Lao Zi said:
If the mind brings forth good,
that good affects what has not yet happened
and turns it into something auspicious.
If the mind brings forth evil,
that evil affects what has not yet happened
and turns it into something horrendous.
In this connection, there are auspicious spirits and evil spirits. You should not think that all spirits are good. The business of evil spirits is repayment in kind. They punish whoever does something wrong. Good spirits protect people who do good. Each spirit has its responsibilities. So the changing of a single thought is extremely important. The fact that that emperor could take responsibility for his own death, and not have the prime minister or the people stand in for him or cause the year to be a bad one, allowed him to encounter the evil and turn it into good. So these matters are all subject to change. They are certainly not fixed.”
Source: http://www.cttbusa.org/shurangama2/shurangama2_21.asp
Thus, all we need to do is to stay calm and bring forth good intentions, banish evil thoughts, give rise to kind prayers and selfless good deeds. Be always mindful of virtue, mercy and modesty during each waking moment. Doing so will keep us safe and change the karma.
Moreover, a lot of calamities and disasters are caused by the evil karma accumulated by hunting, meat packing, fishing and eating meat, According to the famous Qing dynasty Upasaka Zhou An Shi’s Discourse on the Forty Eight Inquiries of Non Violence:
“…..As animals have no recourse against the never-ending slaughter, they must silently swallow their grievances. This leads to a dismal atmosphere of mounting evil karma. Eventually, as the evil karma of killing accumulates to the limit, demon kings will descend into the human realm as a response.
The Zen Master Ci Shou once said: “As a result of the sin of animal slaughter, violence and wars will break out. Those who have taken life will in turn lose their lives. Those who have maliciously refused to repay their debts will lose their homes in the chaos. Furthermore, those who have destroyed burrows and nests will have their family members scattered. Each sin will result in the appropriate retribution. Thus, do not fail to heed the Buddha’s words.”
Therefore, violence and wars are caused by the evil karma of killing. If we are faced with impending violence or conflict, the only recourse is to abstain from killing. The merits from such abstinence is the most potent and materializes speedily. Other good deeds cannot match it. ”
Thus, if we are willing to become vegan, to abstain from meat and also eggs and milk (hens and dairy cows of large scale operations are kept in grossly inhumane conditions), we can generate a lot of good karma and blessings. Thus allowing us to have safe and peaceful lives.
I highly recommend everyone read Upasaka Zhou An Shi’s full work:
https://archive.org/details/Anshi48inquiries
Namo Amitabha,
Bc
P.S. I also reccommend these delicious Vegan versions of every Egg dish:
http://freefromharm.org/food-products/delicious-vegan-eggs-recipes/
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Feeling free after reading such an amazing post. All I want to say, I love my family.
Thanks
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