The Guest List

Recently, I have grown weary from the never ending assault of news updates, sound bites, social media memes, and campaign advertisements. All of it feels like an uninvited, contentious guest in my home, and I wonder, how did all this chaos end up on my mind’s guest list? My goals are to be informed, to vote responsibly and to support social justice. I have the best of intentions. But sometimes I feel paralyzed by the enormity of information available to me at a finger’s touch, and I don’t believe I’m the only one with this dilemma. So, how to balance the needs of both our interior and exterior worlds? I started by accepting different invitations. Take a deep breath and ask yourself:

Are you exhausted from non-stop media?

I invite you to experience a media free day.

Are you overwhelmed by choices?

I invite you to focus on one, only one, thing at a time.

Are you unable to finish your to-do list?

I invite you to accept your human need to rest.

Are you feeling disconnected?

I invite you to share time with a friend, a pet, a favorite book.

Are you frightened by what may happen?

I invite you to remain grounded here in the present.

Are you wounded by the rhetoric and actions of hatred?

I invite you back into the sanctuary of your own heart.

Around us invitations abound. We are invited into places of fear, and we are invited into places of hope. We are invited to be anxious or comforted. We have choices which invitations we accept. We also have choices about the invitations we extend. Today, right now, may you recognize and embrace the invitations coming from love. It’s ok to say, no thank you, to the others. 

~Lisa Kiel