Monsters

There is a quote by Antonio Gramsci who lived at the turn of the 20th century, “The old world is dying and the new world struggles to be born: this is the time of monsters.”

– Ann

Is It a Time of Monsters?

It may be. A lot depends on our perspective, as the world experiences chaos and change. Fear creates powerful monsters that are seldom real. Our minds can take us to dark places where we don’t want to go. Anxiety can tie us up in knots. A time of extremes unsettles us. We lose our sense of safety and security, as the world we once knew slips away.

Monsters can exist both within us and outside us. Within, they arise because they are unfamiliar. Perhaps they are not really monsters, but they are unknown to us and appear to be. Then, we give them life. Outside us, times of chaos and change breeds monsters. Some use the energy of change in negative ways. Some perpetuate fear amidst change to gain control and get their way.

Our imaginations create monsters. However, they can also be real and present in our world. We must learn to discern imaginary monsters and release them. Real monsters we must contend with. There are numerous ways to do so. We can face monsters with strength and love. They often rely on fear. Love is more powerful. One candle dispels the darkness.

Change

Why are we so often uncomfortable with change? If the change is welcome – the birth of a child, a new home we are happy to navigate it. If the change is unexpected or unwelcome, we may have a harder time. This kind of change shakes us up. It is rarely easy to navigate. It asks a lot of us. We must be strong, centered and purposeful. We must find our place within it.

Some use change to manipulate others to their advantage or to create situations that benefit them. They know that change unsettles us and, in this unsettling, we are less stable. They blame others for the change and try to get us to come to their “side”. If we do so, we are often supporting their aims, not our own. They have convinced us their blame is ours too.

There can be bad change, like a storm coming on us. For that, we must be true to ourselves and muster the courage to weather the storm. We must protect ourselves and give ourselves what we need to endure. What we need may be friendship, support, a context for what is happening that works for us, active participation or self-care to make it through.

Allowing

Can we get to a place of allowing for the change and chaos we are now experiencing? Allowing means to permit the presence of. Change is here, so why not acknowledge and “permit” its presence. By permitting we pull ourselves into the truth of the present moment. We do not resist or try to deny. We basically say to ourselves what is, is and go from there.

But where do we go? We find our place in it. Do we want to do what we can to direct the change in a positive direction? Do we fight the change – is that futile? Do we become part of the change? Do we adapt to the transition? Do we batten down the hatches to survive the change? Do we see change as a positive force, even if getting through it is challenging?

Can we bring ourselves to a place of embracing the change we are experiencing? A tall order, for sure. It will allow us to have a positive perspective that serves us. What does a negative perspective do? Not much. It entangles us unproductively. We can also prepare for it as best we can, even if it is already underway. Give ourselves what we need – extra self-care, optimism or support.

Prevailing

 One way of prevailing is to think of and focus on positive outcomes (and, if we want, work towards them). We can look after our self-interest in our responses to change. We can recognize change as a way to strengthen ourselves. We can define a pathway that works for us to make it through the change. We can do our part to drive the change. Prevailing is possible and beneficial, with our strong intention.

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”  – Maya Angelou