I watched a short video from Teal Swan talking about the horrors happening in Gaza right now. (Her video is at the end of this post). She said something that really struck me:
“Be the antidote.”
It encapsulated the lesson I learned after years of being consumed with anger, grief, and despair over the state of the world. When I was overwhelmed by all the injustice I was learning about in my college sociology classes and then in my own research.
I started to become obsessed.
The Weight of The World
The conflict between Israel and Palestine was, of course, going on at that time too and I remember feeling so helpless. I wanted so badly to stop the brutality on both sides. I wanted so badly to be a voice for the Palestinian people because the media within the United States were not showing the full picture. The stories I was hearing tended to make Israel seem completely innocent when that was far from the case. But it wasn’t only this issue I was feeling rage about.
It was the destruction of the rainforests
Government coups
The WTO
The IMF
The G20 summit
Mountaintop removal
Fracking
Child labor
Genocide
War profiteering
Depleted uranium
Torture
Human rights violations
War crimes
Systemic racism
Sexism
Classism
Homophobia
etc. etc. etc.
Each new fact, a new blow.
I spent so much of my time online debating and fighting people who seemed completely ignorant. I was on a crusade against “the other side.”
My nervous system could not handle all I was learning. I was completely burned out, depressed, and feeling powerless and miserable. I had victories in my self-righteous comment battles, but overall, I felt defeated. Because I could not stop what was happening. People didn’t seem to see that the real root problem of hell on earth was our inability to recognize that we are all one. That whatever we do affects others as well as ourselves. That we can’t separate ourselves from the earth because we are nature. If we kill the planet, we kill ourselves. If we hurt others, we hurt ourselves. We become what we are fighting against.
It turns out I was blind to this as well.
The Turning Point
This all changed around 2014 when I decided to stop carrying the weight of world’s the injustices on my back. I stopped trying to stop everything. I realized I needed to become what I wanted the world to be. I needed to become part of a solution. I needed to join in the effort to create the world I envisioned.
I remembered learning about permaculture somewhere in my research. Permaculture is a set of principles based on living in accordance with nature rather than fighting against it. These principles apply to sustainable and resilient farming practices, building and designing homes and communities, and even our relationships with other people. It was all based on the wisdom of nature.
While I was on this path I met amazing people doing impressive things to create a better world. People who cared about the same issues that I did and held the same values of empathy, creativity, and personal growth. They also wanted to create a sanctuary and nonjudgmental space where people could be themselves. Where everyone is encouraged to develop and share their unique gifts.
Pure magic.
That’s what the world could be!
It wasn’t perfect. This was also a period in my life where I experienced a lot of personal pain and heartbreak. But that was because I was finally taking risks and learning about myself and my place in the world. I needed to learn those lessons because they helped me uncover (and continue to uncover) my most authentic self. It all enabled me to get much clearer on what I wanted in my life and what kind of gifts I wanted to share with the world.
We each get to do this.
Find what has caused you the most pain in your life and become the antidote to that. It’s a lifelong journey that no one is perfect at. It’s a practice of love and gratitude. It’s devotion to the world you want to leave behind.
Don’t let the grief and anger consume you until you’re paralyzed with powerlessness. Become the antidote to hate and fully embody love and understanding in your own life.
Become the antidote to revenge and fully embody forgiveness in your own life.
Become the antidote to indiscriminate violence and fully embody unconditional empathy.
Let your pain become your purpose.
Be the change you wish to see.
<3 Nicole Ivy
This article is incredibly motivating. I value how it underscores the significance of self-awareness and resilience when facing tough situations. The idea of being a source of positivity, not only for ourselves but for others too, is truly inspiring.
I’m interested in learning about the strategies or practices that have personally aided you in becoming a source of positivity in your life. Have you discovered any specific shifts in perspective or daily routines that have been particularly effective on this transformative journey?
Thank you so much Kiersti! It is part of my dream to inspire others to live in more alignment with their true selves so they can give the world their gifts, making it a better place for all.
As for the strategies and practices that have helped me, I’d say journaling has been a constant in my life. It is so helpful to pour out all your thoughts and be able to read them back to get perspective and understand your own patterns and figure out what you really want in life. I have just created a guided journal that really helps if you have never tried journaling before. It will be released by October 31, 2023!
Others have been yoga, reading books on mindfulness, EDMR therapy, inner child work, meditation, affirmations, having a solid creative outlet, and shadow work. All of which I will be writing about in the future! Including a very special course on manifesting that really changed my life within a month’s time!
Of course, I’d also recommend stepping out of your comfort zone and doing things that you’ve always wanted to do but are a little scared of. Living life contains the best lessons and feedback. Trying new things opens the mind to new possibilities!