Written by: Silvana Avram, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
As a new year is fast approaching, it is, perhaps, wise to start reflecting on the last 12 months and on the way forward, for each one of us, and for humanity.
There was hope for a new beginning and better horizons after the terrible global pandemic that affected us all. Instead, we are now confronted with the threat of a nuclear war.
Add to this the worsening signs of the climate crisis, political volatility and partisan positions becoming more and more entrenched, and it is easy to see why so many of us feel despondent, confused, or alarmed. It feels like we don’t have any control over these external circumstances; like we are at the mercy of events, often suffering the consequences of decisions taken by others.
Some of that is true. Life has always been unpredictable. Nature has its own laws, and we, humans, are fragile beings. We live in societies where delegating some responsibility to elected officials is the norm. Yet, that does not mean that we have no control. In fact, I’d like to hope that this series of global crises can have an unexpected, positive consequence: shaking humanity up, so we decide to finally take responsibility and build the better world we all want to see.
“We but mirror the world. (…) If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him.” ‒ Mahatma Gandhi.
Gandhi’s words were later summed up in the famous “Be the change you want to see in the world”.
He is, of course, right. Change starts with us. And, looking at the state of the world right now, there is a lot of work to do.
So…how can we bring about change?
In his book “Letting go” David R Howkins talks about levels of consciousness – the lowest of which he considers to be shame, guilt, apathy, grief, and fear. Higher up on the scale are courage, willingness, acceptance, and, higher still, inner wisdom, inner love, and oneness.
If we accept that our world is a mere reflection of where we are, together, on the scale of consciousness, we must make a decision to work consciously towards raising our own vibration, so we can reach higher and higher levels – individually and collectively.
Right now, our world seems to be dominated by negative emotions. Fear, conflict, envy, anger, mistrust, and insecurity…have always existed, of course. But because we are, today, so much more interconnected, these emotions are easily amplified by the various channels of communication we all use.
A negative emotion is an emotion that lowers our energy. It is easily recognizable. A thought, a remark, a gesture, trigger a reaction in us. We see or hear something, or we remember something, and we feel upset, angry, or fearful. That’s negative input. It manifests in our body as tension, restlessness, irascibility, fatigue, or any form of discomfort.
Positive emotions, on the other hand, have the opposite effect. They soothe us and empower us. We recognize them because they make us feel good: at peace, serene, and open.
We can all distinguish between a frown and a smile.
So, the first thing to do is to acknowledge the difference. To start paying attention to our emotions. To develop the courage to see reality as it is, and the willingness to do everything in our power to improve it.
It is a journey. Emotions will come and go. Before learning to transform them, we must first learn to observe them, to acknowledge them, without judgement or impatience. And without attributing blame.
Change can only start with us.
What Gandhi is trying to tell us, what sages have always said and what the latest discoveries in neuroscience confirm, is that, unless we raise our vibration, unless we change, unless we become better, our world will not change. We are only wasting time and wasting our energy when we look for solutions elsewhere, when we blame others, or fate, for the state of our world.
The first step towards manifesting a better life for yourself and a better future for humanity is to take responsibility.
Scientists and spiritual practitioners both agree that all matter and psychological processes — thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and attitudes — are composed of energy. Everything in the universe is energy. Everything, in some subtle way, moves. Every living thing pulses with the flow of life force that pervades the universe. Everything vibrates.
Everything, including the human body, is made of energy. We are energy.
Life is movement. Transformation. Expansion.
Allow life to flow through you freely and joyfully.
Take responsibility for the type of energy you bring into the world.
Take responsibility for who you are. For who you want to be.
How?
By paying attention. By becoming aware of the quality of your energy.
And by asking a couple of simple, powerful questions.
Instead of wondering what the world is going to throw at you, ask this:
What kind of energy am I bringing into my life and into the world right now?
Am I bringing hope, courage, patience, trust, beauty, kindness, truth?
Or am I bringing pessimism, fear, restlessness, doubt, conflict, selfishness, dishonesty?
Instead of allowing yourself to be caught in the ambient negativity, take charge of the energy you want to bring around you.
Ask yourself:
How does my energy affect me, and those around me?
Am I uplifting myself and others, or am I reinforcing lower energies?
Am I contributing higher or lower vibrations to my life and to the world?
Becoming aware and making it a habit to check in with how you are feeling will soon empower you to have much more control on the type of energy you want to experience and contribute.
You can start by doing this as a brief 5-minute morning ritual upon waking up to set a positive intention for the day, or do it in the shower, or with your morning coffee or as you drive to work or take your kids to school. The important thing is to commit to it. Make it a routine. Set a reminder. Set several reminders. Repeat it throughout the day, as you go out in the world, as you meet people, as you share your energy with others.
Asking these simple questions regularly, as often as you can, will slowly but surely shift your focus from helplessness to empowerment.
It will not be easy. You will be tested constantly. Life will get in the way. Strong negative emotions will challenge your resolve. That’s fine. It’s natural. If negativity was easy to control or dispel, we would have done it long ago. It’s an ongoing journey. But the more we become aware, the more chances we have, to succeed.
Don’t judge yourself. Don’t blame yourself. Don’t blame anyone else. And don’t give up.
Simply ask again:
What am I bringing to my life and to the world right now?
How does my energy feel?
Take responsibility. By becoming aware, by becoming an observer, you step back, you avoid reinforcing negativity, and give yourself the opportunity to shift the energy.
You can then ask the next question:
How would I like my energy to be?
You have the power to decide.
You can choose positivity.
Do you want to continue frowning, and being upset, or do you want to let go?
Be patient with yourself. It might take a while. We are so accustomed to negativity that it has almost become our default setting. It seems safer to worry than to trust. It isn’t. It feels smarter to judge than to forgive. It isn’t. You will doubt and hesitate and believe those who say that being positive is simply being naïve. Yet your heart is longing for joy.
And you know that there must be a better way to live and give.
Take your time.
Then, when you are ready, say this, mentally:
“I allow myself to smile”.
And see what happens.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” ‒ Lao Tzu said
A new reality – a new chapter in your life, a new dawn for humanity …begins with your choice.
Start your journey to a higher vibration, positivity, happiness, and freedom today.
You have the power to shape reality.
You might as well begin with a smile.
With trust in you, and in humanity.
Silvana Avram, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Silvana Avram is a successful, Inspirational Life Coach, philosopher, author, teacher, and founder of Life Coaching with Silvana – whose mission is to empower us to embrace our uniqueness, fall in love with life, fulfill our potential and create a beautiful legacy.
Fascinated from a young age by the mystery of life and our place in the universe, Silvana has been on a quest to find her own answers to the big existential questions facing humanity. Now an acclaimed Coach and Author, she draws on her extensive study of Philosophy, Psychology, Meditation, Holistic Healing, and Spirituality to create a uniquely inspirational and empowering style of Coaching – also reflected in her Book “Being You and Loving You” in which she guides us through an unforgettable, transformative journey of self-discovery and self-love.
Convinced that we can overcome the prevalent paradigms of fear and division, Silvana has recently focussed her attention on developing a radically innovative approach, outlined in her upcoming book, “Living in Eternity” – and which has earned her an unexpected nickname: “Miss Eternity”! She argues passionately that, rather than chasing goal after goal and living for tomorrow, we should, instead, live every day, every moment, with the joy, awe, and serenity we experience when we see our lives from the perspective of Eternity. When we choose to live in Eternity, everything falls into place, everything we do takes on a different meaning, and we become aware that, as humanity, we are, in fact, constantly creating our common legacy.
Silvana’s ambition: is to inspire us to write a better story for ourselves – and for humanity – in Eternity!
