This morning while in meditation I was given a vision of the entrance into a new world. The entrance was made of two arched doorways atop of which was a stone crossbeam with the following words etched upon it:
…of the people, by the people, for all people.
Reminiscent of Abraham Lincoln’s prophetic hope for the rebirth of a nation, these words spoke to a new world that committed to undoing all the wrongs that prevented Lincoln’s vision for ever taking hold. When I read these words, I wept for a nation and a world that had failed itself. I then felt within me a renewed spark of hope – knowing that deep within the potential of humanity is the possibility of rebuilding our world anew.
This new world was built by those who had survived the time of destruction and seen the devastation that had been brought about by humanity’s greed. Instead of creating more of what had been, humanity had come together to create something new. Understanding that humanity’s survival was dependent on the wellbeing of the planet, care for the earth was now of primary concern. Gone were the days of poisoning our waters, our air, and our soil. Banished were the chemicals and processes that sought to manipulate or control nature. These were replaced by ancient practices of sustainability directed first at caring for the land and second for harnessing the inherent cooperation of nature. Technology now worked on behalf of the earth and all who lived upon her and new technologies were developed that gave more to the earth than what it took.
Weary of the division that had imprisoned them in conflict, humanity came together in support of the common good. Shifting their gaze from fierce individualism, decisions were now made in consideration of both the collective good and on how decisions might impact the most vulnerable among us. Recognizing how the lack of self-awareness, personal and collective accountability had been the cause of the old world’s destruction, the new world placed psychological development of utmost importance – with all education geared toward supporting the inherent giftedness of each individual while providing the necessary resources and training through which one might best fulfill their potential. Success was now measured more by an inner sense of fulfillment than by one’s position in society.
More than anything, what defined this new world was a deep spirit of cooperation. Each individual was valued for their unique contribution to the whole. Every resource was counted as gift. Diversity was celebrated as contributing to the betterment of the whole. Harmony was valued above conflict and collaboration above competition. In this new world, peace and compassion reigned, the magnificent beauty of nature was restored, and humanity lived in cooperation with each other, the planet, and all of creation. And life was good.
Actually, it’s already here, but many are still in denial of that storm. The storm that is coming, will be so obvious and so painful (to some) that people will no longer be able to remain in denial or content in avoidance.
If you have spent the past many years nurturing and cultivating your inner well-being, healing your wounds, addressing your trauma, and developing the strength of detachment along with the wisdom of witness consciousness, you will be safe from the storm. You will see it and understand it to be simply another symptom of a system in collapse and as the death throes of dying empires.
If you have preferred to remain ignorant or have been clinging to the dying system, you are in for a rude awakening. Those who have been hiding the evils they have inflicted on this world and on all of creation will be seen for who they really are and what they’ve really been doing. This will be a shocking revelation to those attached to the dying system, especially those who have benefitted from a system defined by division that gets its power through fear, power, manipulation, oppression, and control.
There is nothing we can do to prepare for this storm. There are no bunkers, stockpiles, or doomsday preparations that will keep one safe from the revelations that will turn our world upside down. Some are already aware of the deep layers of corruption that currently govern our world. Fewer are aware of the pure evil in which this corruption is rooted.
Many veils have already been pulled away and what we’ve been forced to see so far has been sickening enough. What is coming is will strike horror in the minds of those who continue to believe in a system that has already failed the majority of humanity. If you haven’t seen this, you haven’t been paying attention. Get ready to have your eyes opened. This time, you will not be able to look away.
To my sisters and brothers who have been preparing and training for this, thank you! Your resilience will be called upon, along with your wisdom. You’ve known this was coming. You’ve done the often painful inner work of readying yourself for this time. You have developed the skills and the abilities to weather systemic collapse and to support others in doing the same. Your gifts and your experience will be called upon. In a time while the rest of the world seems to be dying, you will find yourself riding the wave while thriving in a world that is finally ready to accept your gifts.
From the moment that Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, I have been both deep in prayer and physically writhing from the effects of being an empath. I cannot help but feel the world in rapt and anxious attention to the conflict along with the grief, fear, and enormous courage of the Ukrainian citizens. Still in the throes of the excruciating pain of an empathic full-body migraine, I feel at the center of it all –
ENORMOUS HOPE.
As a species, we find ourselves at a potential turning point – one, through which, we might finally break free from the clutches of tyranny. An innocent nation is being attacked and the court of popular opinion leans on the side of Ukraine. Russians themselves decry the actions of their president and those who support him and are rising in protest. Members of the Russian military are beginning to question the orders they’ve been given along with the reasons why. In a recent phone call with a family member in Ukraine, a friend learned that many Russian soldiers are discussing the possibility of simply laying down their arms.
Russian soldiers laying down their arms? Imagine that!
Imagine that! Imagine the precedent this would set for the people of our world! In a world where recent wars have been created by men in power for the sake of other men in power. In world where economies and the bank accounts of the wealthiest in our world have become dependent on war. In a world where the innocent have no voice and the soldiers are simply doing what they are told. What would happen if those sent to fight another’s war simply lay down their arms and joined hands with those they’ve been told are their enemy? What would happen?
We would suddenly find ourselves living in a whole new world.
Mystic:
Lauri Ann Lumby was born with a deeply introverted (yet social) and contemplative spirit. She is gifted with seeing the truth beyond the illusion and because of this gift, has been called a mystic, a visionary, and a prophet. Lauri is also a catalyst, meaning that those things that are stuck or which need to come to an end begin to move, simply because of her presence. This reality has earned her the designation of “Priestess of Death” – a title she willingly embraces knowing that in every ending is the promise of new life.
The storm isn’t coming. The storm is already here and
WE ARE THAT STORM!
Humanity is crying out for a new way of being. One that is no longer based in the model of imprisonment that has been imposed on us – the model rooted in manipulation through fear, power, oppression, and control.
We have grown weary of being the backs upon which white men have become grotesquely wealthy while we struggle and fight to survive.
We have grown weary of a world defined by war.
We have become sickened by those who grow increasingly rich by a world always at war.
We cry out in agony over the destruction wrought on our beautiful planet by the mechanisms of corporate gluttony and greed.
Our hearts cry out on behalf of all those who suffer under the current system – especially the poor, homeless, elderly, sick, and mentally ill.
We ache over the injustices in our world and have cried out:
ENOUGH!
We are crying out with our feet by refusing to continue in this charade:
We have staged a worker’s revolution – refusing to participate in a system that is against us rather than for us.
Many have created their own work built on their passions which give life meaning or choosing work that provides better balance.
Increasing numbers of people are standing up against racism and brutality.
We have lost faith in a governance that works on behalf of their financial sponsors instead of the constituents they were elected to serve.
Many are untying themselves from a financial system based in debt and are finding financial autonomy and empowerment outside of that system.
Increasing numbers are connecting and gathering in support of a simpler, gentler life that takes less of a toll on our fragile environment.
People are standing up in defense of our planet!
People are coming together in search of common ground and are turning away from the created division upon which the current system thrives.
We have stopped believing in a media that has lost its sense of true journalism in favor of hype.
We have turned away from an outside perceived authority and have harnessed the inner authority and sovereignty that has been within us all along.
We are the storm that the system never expected.
Lost in the arrogance and pride of their superiority over the masses, the system expected we would continue being obedient, compliant, subservient, and weak. The system expected that we would continue believing in their capitalistic lies (ie: everyone has the same opportunity to become wealthy). The system expected that they could continue to manipulate and control us through fear and false promises.
But the system has failed.
A system built on fear, power, oppression, and control cannot stand. A system that thrives on division is unsustainable and will eventually collapse under its own weight.
We have arrived at that place of collapse.
We are the storm that hastens the collapse by refusing to believe the lies while untying ourselves from fear-based conditioning. We are the storm by coming together instead of participating in division. We are the storm by finding our own inner authority, standing in our truth, and using our voice to speak out against the lies and for the truth. We are the storm when we use our feet to forge a different path, and our hands to create a whole new world.
We are the storm the system never expected, and we are legion!
What are your gifts and how are you called to use them for the sake of your own fulfillment and in service to the betterment of the world?
What is Your Magic?, online course created by Lauri Ann Lumby, OM, OPM, OSF, MATS was created to help you discover the answer!
In my experience, there are four kinds of exorcists:
The ones we see in movies modeled after the tradition of Catholic priests especially trained and commissioned to research demonic possession and if deemed demonic, also charged with freeing the “host” of said demon.
The shaman-types who “eat” demons who have made a home in an animal, person, or place.
Psychiatrists who successfully treat those suffering from extreme mental illness which in former times would have been labeled as possessed.
Those who help regular people identify, transform, and release the demons of fear, past wounding, trauma, etc.
Normally I would say that I am solely the fourth kind of exorcist, but due to recent events, I must now acknowledge that the deeper “releasing of demons” that I’ve been doing is more akin to #1. YIKES!
For yesterday I was given a vision and a command
The vision came during my Sunday morning yoga class. Sitting in child’s pose, I was overcome with a terrible anxiety, bordering on panic. First, I tried stuffing down the anxiety. Then I tried praying it away. Neither of these released the anxiety so I did what every exorcist knows to do –
Instead of running from the fear, I went into it.
As I drew closer to the fear, I began to “see” through my third eye, becoming like the three-eyed raven of Game of Thrones fame. I found myself “flying” over the world and being shown all the pockets of a world readying for war. They are legion.
I was then drawn into and past the war machine and was shown the “players.” These players might better be called “puppet masters” for they are never on the front lines. Instead, these are the men behind the men behind the men. These “puppet masters” are made up of a council of men hiding behind, manipulating, and controlling the wealth in the world and all the violence that created (and continues to create) and is brought about by that wealth. These are the men who benefit from a world at war and who create the perceived conflicts that ensure the world is always at war so they may continue to grow in wealth.
I was then drawn into and through these men to the evil that feeds and sustains them, for the evil they do is not simply born out of gluttony and greed. It is born out of the darkest and most hideous actions man can dream of – namely:
Human sacrifice, the most hideous of which is child sacrifice.
Yes. You heard me right. The evil these men feed upon is that which is sustained through the sacrifice of human life. These sacrifices include the women and men who die in war, innocents killed in the streets and in their own homes, children trafficked for the purpose of sexual/murderous acts.
I shudder to share these words, and many might accuse me of lying or being insane. I’m only telling you what I saw. You can look away, but the reality remains.
There is true evil being done in our world and until this evil is rooted out, we will never know peace.
This is where the task of the exorcist comes in. I’m not a Catholic priest. Neither am I a shaman. Instead, the work I do is invisible and performed in the non-physical realm. Here I remain with the visions as they come and follow the visions as they lead me toward the sources of these evils – what some might call “demons.” At first glance, they appear as demons. Some big. Some small. Some absent of form. Then I use the tools I’ve been given (through the Holy Spirit/Shekinah) to support these “demons” in being healed of the evil that befell them so that they might return to their original nature as love.
The work is not about banishing demons, it is about restoring them to Love.
This is the work that has consumed me for the past 24 hours and which will continue to unfold as it needs to. The great news is that I have spiritual sisters and brothers who are doing similar work, so I know I am not alone. I am humbled (to the point of tears) to be called to this work and grateful for the years of what I now understand was the training necessary to develop the courage to face these evils and to be a vessel through which they might be healed so that our world might be healed.
Click on the images above to learn more about Lauri’s training programs – for your own transformation and in service to your work of Love in the world.
I write this to you with trembling fingers and an anxious heart. There is a grave disturbance in “The Force,” and if you too are an empath, you are likely feeling it. I pen this today to assure you that you are not alone!
There is much in the world that is contributing to this disturbance:
Oh….and a little thing called “government corruption: ie: who really runs the world???????
These are just a few examples of what may be causing (or continuing to cause) a Disturbance in the Force, and they all point to one single thing:
Complete and total systemic collapse.
As Jesus said, “a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand (Mark 3:24, Matthew 12:25).” Not only are we a kingdom divided. We are a world divided. The disturbances we are experiencing today will continue to heighten as we approach the end of the system of fear, power, oppression, and control that has ruled our world. A system that by its own design is rooted in division and has no future but collapse.
We are witnessing and living through the collapse.
The question for many of us is, “how do we survive the collapse?” Sadly, many have not, and many more will not. Human life is sadly one of the costs of collapse. With the reality of human casualties in mind, the first order of business is to:
tend to our dying and grieve their loss.
Tending to our dying and grieving their loss is and has become a necessary act of self-care. Tending to our grief will become increasingly critical as the world continues to divide in its journey toward collapse:
grieving relationships we might lose
grieving the loss of what we have known as our day-to-day lives
grieving the destruction of our planet
grieving the hardness of heart of some human beings
grieving the loss of the illusion of security, safety, and control
grieving the on-going unveiling of evil and corruption in our world
grieving the loss of the illusion of the “system having our back”
As the world as we have known it collapses, there has been and will continue to be much to grieve.
What support do you have for processing grief?
Speaking of grief, what support do you have for processing the shattering of illusions? A system based in fear, power, oppression, and control, gets that power through deception. Straight up, bold-faced lies about how the system “protects, provides for, and cares about its citizens.” A system built on fear, power, oppression, and control only cares about one thing – ITSELF. As the system continues in its collapse, more and more of these falsehoods will be revealed along with the loathsome and hideous reality of what has been hiding behind the veil.
What support do you have for processing deception and betrayal?
As the veils hiding the reality of the system are torn away, so too will be the veils of those who have benefitted from the system. There is an old saying about “the Father of Lies” ruling the world. Success in a world ruled by lies is best secured by those living the lie – either lying to themselves, or lying to the world about who they are and what they are offering and promising (ie: Joel Olsteen). Those lacking integrity will be made known – some of whom you may have depended on as perceived sources of support.
What support do you have for grieving these lies?
While we cannot save a world in its collapse, we can take measures to support ourselves in navigating and hopefully surviving that collapse.
It begins with paying attention to what is happening around us and being willing to see (and feel) the reality of things.
It is then a matter of self-care – caring for our fear, our grief, our anxiety, our worry, our sorrow, our disappointment, our shock and trauma.
It is about knowing when we have exhausted our own efforts of self-care and when we need to reach out to another for support.
Who are the people on your support team?
I want to close this musing with the reminder that on the other side of every loss, death, disappointment, betrayal, and systemic collapse, is the promise of new life. New life is found after we have taken the time to grieve our losses and heal our wounds, but the seeds of that new life have already been planted. It is my hope and my vision that the new world on the other side of this collapse is kinder, gentler, more peaceful, collaborative and harmonious than the world we know today. I, for one, am looking forward to that new world that I have already begun to build for myself. Which brings me to my final question:
What tools do you have for building your own new world?
Lauri Ann Lumby was born with a deeply introverted (yet social) and contemplative spirit. She is gifted with seeing the truth beyond the illusion and because of this gift, has been called a mystic, a visionary, and a prophet. Lauri is also a catalyst, meaning that those things that are stuck or which need to come to an end begin to move, simply because of her presence. This reality has earned her the designation of “Priestess of Death” – a title she willingly embraces knowing that in every ending is the promise of new life.
So far, January has not been at all what I expected. At 57, I’ve learned to be pretty much free of expectations, so I’m not sure what I thought 2022 would bring….but certainly not this.
I’m not even sure what “this” is. Certain things are obvious:
A world on the brink of war.
A raging pandemic.
Continuing conflict over vaccines, masks, conspiracy theories, etc.
Government corruption.
Increasing restrictions on reproductive rights and access to voting.
The on-going unveiling of the evils of the ruling system.
Sadly, this has all become “business as usual.” War? Famine? Pestilence? Death? Everyday occurrences – right?! As Lord Varys (Game of Thrones) once said, “Perhaps we’ve grown so used to horror, we assume there is no other way.”
The good news is there is another way. It is the way I am choosing:
As the world continues its path of self-destruction, I’ve been serving as objective witness while quietly building my own new world.
As one cannot stop a runaway train, neither can we prevent the current world from its unraveling. It needs to unravel, but we don’t need to unravel with it. Instead, we can observe the world in its dying from a place of detachment, non-judgment, and non-reaction. Letting go of our need to control or “save” the dying world frees us to get on with the real business at hand:
Building our own new worlds.
Building my own new world is exactly what I find myself doing. It’s quiet work. It’s also mostly invisible. And it begins with choice. Asking myself:
To what do I want to give my energy and attention?
With whom and how do I want to spend that time?
In what do I find meaning and purpose?
What gives me joy and helps me find peace?
What feels like a good balance between solitude and engagement?
What do my body and soul need to feel healthy and whole?
How do I want to move within and upon this world?
For the past many months, I’ve been seeking the answers to these questions and as the answers arise, I have been choosing them. Now I’m being given an opportunity to put these answers into practice. The result has been a quieter, gentler, more peaceful and contented existence than what I had before – especially when the before was very much defined by societal conditioning and the expectations of others. No more! Now I’m living by my choices around what gives me peace and realizing the rewards of that choice. If I could provide a single image to what my new world looks like, it would be this:
Lauri Ann Lumby, OM, OPM, MATS
Lauri’s gifts as a mentor are centered in her ability to see. She sees your truth along with what might be hindering your ability to live that truth fully. By seeing clearly, Lauri can help guide you through the process of identifying, healing and transforming the wounds, fears, traumas and conditioning that keep you from living a life in which your purpose is fully embodied and your mission fulfilled.
Lauri provides this mentoring one-on-one and through her classes and training programs.
In 2016, I penned an article addressing the HUGE issue of teen suicide. At that writing, 5 of my children’s peers had died by suicide. Over the years this number jumped to more than 10 and as of this week, we are up to 15 or more!
Our Kids are NOT ALRIGHT!
In my original post (highlights below), I mentioned several contributors to suicide among teens and young adults, along with some ideas for support. Today, our world has only gotten worse. Our kids are not alright because
Our world is not alright!
More specifically,
THE UNITED STATES IS NOT ALRIGHT!
We are living in a nation that has been at war with itself over a division that increases every time we find (or someone convinces us there is) something new to fight about. The list is endless:
Politics
Vaccines
Masks
Guns
Women’s Reproductive Rights.
Gender
Sex
Orientation
Race
Add to this a dying economy, a dying republic, the death of democratic process, a dying healthcare system, a long past dead education system (by no fault of the educators), the increasing separation between the haves and the have nots and the decreasing accessibility to meaningful work with a sustainable wage, all while trying to navigate the ever-changing (and volatile) waters of a global pandemic.
No wonder our kids are anxious, panicked, and depressed!
Our kids are not alright, and if we believe they are, we’re fooling ourselves. I personally have no idea how to respond to the dying world, except to let it die and hope that something better will be coming forth out of the ash. But our kids deserve so much more than what our world has become. They also deserve more consideration than what we have been giving them. Is this the kind of world we want to leave our children? Don’t they deserve more than a nation always at war with itself and each other? Don’t they deserve what we once thought of as the “American Dream?” Can we just for this moment worry less about whether wearing masks are an infringement on our personal freedoms and more about our children and what they might need to feel safe in this very uncertain world?
Lauri Ann Lumby is the mother of two young adults who have seen too many of their peers die by suicide. Lauri is also a professional spiritual counselor to has supported those suffering loss and mentored individuals on the journey of self-actualization since 1995. Lauri can be reached directly via email: lauri@lauriannlumby.com.
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Highlights from 2016 post:
This week, another one of my daughter’s classmates committed suicide. This young woman is the fifth in a graduating class of 200-some students to commit suicide. Something here is wrong. Very wrong…..
The problem, and the reason our kids are not alright is: Our world.
Our world is a mess. Our world is a mess for all of us – and for some of us, it is just too much to bear. Let’s look at the facts:
For as long as our children have been alive, THE WORLD HAS BEEN AT WAR.
If it’s not a conflict or a war with a name, (Desert Storm, Iraqi, Afghanistan, Israel and Palestine, etc. etc. etc.) it is “the war on terrorism.” And the worst of all the terrorist attacks have been accomplished right here on our own soil by our own U.S. citizens. The media does not help in this regard by triggering our fears through sensationalism. As my son said, “Hundreds of people a year are shot in Chicago and no one cares, but as soon as one guy gets shot in Oshkosh, the whole world is in a state of panic.” (This also points to media and racial bias which is a topic for another blog another day.)
For our children – the world does not feel safe.
In the U.S. success is determined by external measurements like money, status, power and fame. And some of these measurements are literal – how much money you make, how many time you are Tweeted or your Facebook post gets “liked,” if you have your own reality show or not, and do you measure up to the current standards of “beauty.” For those who do not know their true selves and who have no way of knowing themselves except in comparison to others, success feels like an impossible goal – especially when they look at the TRUTH of our economic situation – which brings me to #3
Education does not mean what it used to. In the old days, a high school education was enough to prepare you for a regular job with a decent rate of pay. Then, college became the necessary gateway to a career, a paycheck and economic security. Then, a master’s degree became the gateway, then a PhD. Now….none of this really matters – and our children know this. A college degree guarantees you nothing, or as a friend of mine told her daughter, “Do what you love because there won’t be any jobs for you after college anyway.” Bleak, but true. As much as politicians are touting the economic recovery and that the “recession is over,” this is not the truth.
The world as we know it is dying. Our children know this and they know that they will be the ones who will be creating the new world. For some, this is just too overwhelming a task. Imagine, for a moment, that you are a player in the Hunger Games and the entire world (as you have known it) crumbles at your feet and you are left with the task of building the new world. While the endless possibilities and the excitement of building something new is enticing for some, for others, it is overwhelming and feels impossible and they shut down under the burden of the task.
And finally….this is the whoo whoo part…..our children are empaths. What this means is that not only are they feeling their own anxiety in the face of a world that is a mess, they are feeling EVERYONE ELSE’S anxiety. They feel the anxiety of their parents, their siblings, their classmates, their teachers, and the entire world around them. When there is a terrorist attack on the other side of the world, they feel it – maybe not consciously, but they feel it. When a weather system is moving through that will cause people anxiety, they know it – again, maybe not consciously, but they feel it. For those that don’t understand the gift of empathy and who don’t have tools for managing this gift, the emotions come out sideways – temper tantrums, disproportionate negative behavior, anxiety, depression – and you guessed it, suicide.
Which brings me full-circle. I don’t know what caused that young woman to jump off the bridge into a freezing and raging river to her death. What I do know is that her death is another wake up call for us as parents, teachers, and other adults.
Our children need our help. While we cannot change the outside world, there are things we can do to help our children, and in helping them, find help for ourselves in a messy and broken down world:
Lead them to resources to help them manage anxiety. Resources that have been proven to help manage anxiety include: meditation, mindfulness, regular exercise, a healthy diet, adequate and deep sleep, creativity exercises, being in nature, being with others in healthy community interactions.
Support them in knowing their TRUE selves. Self-knowledge increases self-esteem, confidence, and the ability to be ok with our differences in a world of great diversity.
Help them develop a different set of values. This starts with us. We need to stop valuing ourselves in terms of money, fame, status, power, and physical characteristics. What we are wearing, whose bag we are carrying and what car we are driving DOES NOT MATTER. These external measurements of “success” or “popularity” do not give us happiness. In fact, all they do is create more ANXIETY. If we want our children to be comfortable in a world that will NOT have the resources in which everyone can be a Kardashian, we have to help them find value in the internals – peace, contentment, joy, and fulfillment in knowing and exercising their gifts. We then need to give them tools for finding this inner peace which leads us back to items 1 and 2.
Support them in their dreams. Our children see and know the new world. They see a world that is free from the separation with which we have defined the world. Instead of separation, they see only oneness. They do not comprehend the separation we keep placing between ourselves and others we view as different from us. Our children do not see race, religion, sexual orientation, or even gender as barriers, they only see this as the miraculous and amazing diversity among human beings and they seek to know more and to honor these differences. Let’s get out of the way and let them do this, shall we!?
Teach them what to do with Empathy. This is where the whoo whoo community can help. Empaths are healers and those with this gift (all of our children) possess this gift because they are here to heal our dying world so that a healthier and happy world can emerge. Our children need to know what to do with these feelings and how to stop taking responsibility for everyone else’s pain. Interestingly, this also brings us back to items 1 and 2.
While we cannot change the world, we can change the world in which we are living and the journey starts within. Let us join together to help our children, and in helping our children, helping ourselves so that we can survive in a world in the midst of change and through our children’s dreams, help to support the birth of a new and better world. Then perhaps these children would not have died in vain.
Authentic Freedom Academy provides empowerment training for those who want to change their world, which starts by changing the world within.
Good Lord this has been a year! For those with whom I am in close contact, including myself, 2021 has been the year of letting go, letting go, and then letting go some more. I can’t speak for others, but at this point, I’m not sure there’s anything left for me to let go.
Let me confirm that letting go does NOT bring on a sensation of peace. Instead, we are left with a great sense of unease. As we stare into what has become an empty vessel, we are struck with three things:
Grief over what has passed away.
An anxious desire to fill in those empty spaces.
Sheer terror over the possibility that the emptiness might be the end of all things (or in my case that everything I have done has been for naught and that I will have to go out and find a “real job.” UGH!).
To grieve is appropriate. As we gaze over what has passed out of our lives and what we have intentionally released, sorrow will come. As will every other face of grief. Bargaining most of all as we reach for those things we’ve released, hoping to find security in returning them to the now empty vessel. What we have let go of, however, cannot return. Instead, we are invited to be present to the sorrow, secure in the hope that something new will come to take its place.
Anxiety is also appropriate. What was known provided a sense of security and surety in our lives. If nothing else, it provided the illusion of security simply because it was known. As we release what is no longer life-giving, or it is torn from our clutching fingers, our first instinct is to call it back. When it cannot be called back, our second instinct is to find something to replace it – even if that something is of our own contriving and may have nothing to do with our highest good. We just want to fill the empty space. The answer to this anxiety is simple: DON’T DO IT! Instead, become comfortable with the anxiety. UGH!
Emptiness is a kind of death. What we have known has come to an end and the new has not yet come into form. Despite our attempts at seeking out or even forcing the new, the new will only arrive in the hands of Divine Timing. Terror comes when we are faced with this level of unknown. With this there is literally nothing we can do but stare into the face of the unknown and FEEL its terror.
This is where we find ourselves at the end of 2021 – staring in terror into the face of the unknown. It’s ok to feel anxiety and fear. Allowing ourselves to be with this terror is good medicine. The more we allow ourselves to be with the terror of the unknown and sit in its company, the more we discover there’s really nothing to fear. The purpose of terror is to remind us of the illusion of control – likely the final thing we cling to. When we let go of our need to control and the illusion that we ever had any in the first place, then, only then, will we find peace.
Lauri Ann Lumby is currently scheduling mentoring sessions starting the second week of January. Email lauri@lauriannlumby.com to schedule your session today.
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Lauri Ann Lumby 