Recently, I have heard a lot of chatter in the news and in social media about assembling go-bags. The go-bag contains necessary items for survival for when the shit hits the fan. Go-bags are equally helpful in case of a natural disaster forcing evacuation.  Amazon even sells already assembled go-bags with more things than anyone would even think they might need.

In this chatter I hear many people talking about fleeing the country should (insert reason here) happen. While fleeing the country might entertain our thoughts, the reality is that many, if not most of us do not have the resources or the means to leave.  Furthermore, what, if any, country is willing to welcome asylum-seeking Americans into their country, especially when current political rhetoric centers around the threat of closing our own borders? (insert shrug emoji)

The reality is that no matter how bad things might get, most Americans have no choice but to stay put – if not for financial reasons, then by calling. I, for one, have been told in no uncertain terms is fleeing America a choice for me. I am meant to stay here and ride out the waves of whatever may come – being both witness and a source of support for those who need it. I suspect the same is true for many. I know the same to be true for many I call colleagues and friends.

For those of us who are to stay put, we will not be assembling our go-bag.  Instead, we are being called to assemble our “stay-bag.”  The stay-bag is all that we need to survive where we are. While the stay-bag may vary from person to person, there are essential elements that I believe we all need:

• A sound practice – one that allows us to find center when all that is around us is chaos.
• A place we can call sanctuary. For me, this is my home. In this sanctuary, we are able to find rest and feelings of safety from the chaos of the outside world. My home is my monastery, my church, and the place where I welcome family and friends.
• A safe community – for me this is my family, close friends, and colleagues. Some are local. Some are at a distance.
• SOS contacts – those we can turn to when it all becomes too much or feels completely insane. Those with whom we can be vulnerable and share the deepest fears or losses of our hearts.
• Professional Support – spiritual counselors (like me), therapists, yoga teachers, massage therapists, acupuncturists, compassionate physicians, etc.  Anyone and everyone that we can turn to for our own well-being.  
• Enjoyment – those simple things that nourish our souls. Books, TV, spending time with friends, art, music, dancing, being in nature, etc. In this, it is helpful to remember that even in the darkest of times, humanity has found support and inspiration in “the arts” – whatever form those arts took.

In this season of giving, and as we approach the new year, perhaps the most important thing we can give to ourselves is all that we need to survive this next stage in the evolution of human consciousness and the unfolding of the American experiment.

What is in your “stay-bag?”