Unless we’ve been hiding our heads in the sand, which seems to be an international failing, we know that incredible ecological, cultural, spiritual and technological changes are happening worldwide, and at a head-spinning pace. While scientists are predicting, visionaries are hoping and praying that this global activity will lead to wondrous leaps in the way mankind progresses and treats our planet and each other.
This dream will never come to pass, though, unless many millions of us courageously look up, recognize the situation, and choose to play our individual roles in the evolving consciousness of humanity.
I know for many senior citizens this personal participation won’t be easy. For myself, I'm a great grandmother, and I, too, am somewhat resistant to change, especially in the high-tech area. My cell phone does not have any apps, take photographs or perform the duties of a household staff. My car cannot self-park, give me directions or make me feel redundant. And, when I have to adjust my comfort zone to cope with normal life changes, I do my share of grousing before I can embrace the changes and move forward.
Yet, if we care about our children, grandchildren and future generations to come, as well as our planet, we will take this opportune time seriously for ourselves and as role models. We elders have a far broader scope of memory and knowledge, and while we may all still have a lot to learn, we’ve been around the block.
Fortunately we have super-computer brains that are ideally designed to help us to, among other things, remain balanced in a world that is constantly changing. This is good news indeed, for we know that life equals change. It seems we were organically wired to evolve to this point where for the first time in human history we are aware of our oneness with the Earth and all life and have the opportunity to help humanity evolve consciously.
That information becomes even more vital when we consider we’re on an orb hurtling through space, and instead of being a wise and loving custodian of our planet home, mankind has bombed, pillaged, polluted, raped and wreaked havoc on land, sea and air. We are at a crisis point with the very ground upon which we stand, literally and figuratively.
All scientific trends indicate that before the end of this century the changes will be coming so fast that they will hardly register on our consciousness, and life on Earth will soon bear little resemblance to what we know now.
I can assure you that even though it may be under the radar (the head in the sand syndrome) the current changes are already affecting each and every one of us emotionally, mentally and physically. We need to pay attention and recognize how change is already showing up in our individual lives, and how to cope with it so that we are part of a desirable outcome.
After some recent physical, mental and emotional upheavals in my life, and a lot of angst, I finally recognized that I was in a process of change. It took me even longer before I realized that the hoped for changes on Earth could only come about through us as we are one with the Earth and all life, and it could not be otherwise. There, in blessed repose is the irrevocable link between global transformational changes and us. It is up to us to wake up and take responsibility for our part in the process.
So, for those who may hopefully find a source of solace and support from the lessons of others, I offer up my experience.
After prior decades of excellent health, ten months ago, my life was altered by a broken foot. Three months later I was diagnosed with shingles, and subsequently post herpetic neuralgia, which is ongoing and means coping with constant pain. As the physical maladies continued to surface, the emotional aspect also heightened.
At first when the changes were primarily physical, my rational mind entertained the thought that since I’m a senior citizen perhaps this was the beginning of the end, and I would just have to get used to it, do my best and accept what is. That line of negative thought passed fairly quickly as my lifelong habit of thinking positively came to the fore. If I’m still here, I reasoned, my time on Earth wasn’t complete – yet – and that like all human beings I am part and parcel of transformational global change.
I got the message that we are meant to grow through our own changes and to reap the reward of evolving consciously, as well as simultaneously in synch with humanity. Holding onto this truth lifted my spirits dramatically and eased my mind, but not the process, as it soon became more complicated.
What ultimately plunged me into a mental and emotional tizzy was when change touched my professional life as a writer. I was in the middle of writing an essay and didn’t realize I was still immersed in my own “change process” – which meant that I didn’t know enough to complete the essay. As a consequence, I missed several deadlines. Since I consider writing a significant part of my life’s purpose, and this was the first time in a lengthy career this had ever happened, I experienced a mixture of anxiety, concern, doubt, and fear.
I continued to endure daily angst until finally in desperation I called my daughter. She knows me better than anyone, and reminded me that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, but of loving oneself enough to do so. With her loving support and wisdom, I was then able to call another friend who is a gifted spiritual counselor.
The advice she offered provided the next level of understanding that I needed. I told her I felt like my body, as well as my life was either falling apart or falling together, and from time to time I wasn’t sure which. Her counsel included a reminder that when we are challenged at a deep soul level, it is a blessed opportunity to draw closer to God-the Source-Infinite Intelligence. She also described pain as “a huge experience in humility, where our egos begin to soften and we are laid open and bare to the power and presence of God.” That resonated with the core of my being, and I was brought to tears, and also thankfully back to my center within—where once again I could come from clarity, as well as trust in God-Good-Truth and the process of life.
Right now I hug to my heart that like everyone else on the planet I have the same opportunity to help create a world that works for me and for everyone. I know at the deepest part of me that this time of global change is a golden opportunity (writ large), and if we’re alive, no matter our ages, we’re part of it and meant to help further the process—not hide our heads and pretend things are okay, or give up on ourselves or the world.
The insight I gained, as well as a key to accepting and coping with my personal challenges (and to completing this essay), was in being able to ask for help, which meant bypassing my ego. In doing that, I was able to come from my essential self, which is what I believe we’re all being challenged to do in this time of transformational change. If we can do this individually and collectively, it will mean goodbye to insecurity, fear, unnecessary angst, greed, wars and hurting others in any form. By actively participating in helping humanity evolve—we help create better lives and a better world. Count me in.
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Copyright © 2012 by Fern Stewart Welch
The author’s books: “Tea with Elisabeth,” recipient of the 2010 Silver Award for Non-fiction; “You Can Live A Balanced Life In An Unbalanced World,” and “The Heart Knows the Way—How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within,” are available at Amazon.com and other online booksellers, as well as bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble.
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