Free and laughing in times of crisis

I awoke this morning to the news that a financial advisor in California had murdered his family, and then himself, seemingly distraught at the effect of the financial meltdown on his life. I wondered what in the world could merit such an extreme response. Last week, a friend called me in a panic, wondering if she should pull her funds from a particular financial institution in Jamaica which was rumoured to be experiencing a run. And two days ago I received a note from my class rep at Harvard Business School, clearly concerned about the welfare and wellbeing of her classmates – a number of whom are in high positions in these failed institutions and in other institutions affected by the crisis.

I feel quite disconnected from the crisis, for I have made a decision that whatever is happening in the world out there, my life will continue to grow and prosper. My light will continue to shine brightly regardless of the darkness around me. Indeed, it is even more important to let our light shine in these times, for now is when the world needs sunshine and hope. I have made a decision to be free and laughing no matter what.

How does one be free and laughing in a time of crisis?

The very first step is to be present. There is no freedom in being somewhere else. When you are outside of the present, you are in Worryland! Worrying about past errors of judgment (why did I buy that mutual fund, why did I place my money in this or that institution, why didn’t I pull my funds when the danger signals were clear, yada yada yada) means that we are not present – we are in the past. It is done, and there is nothing we can do about it. So why worry? Worrying about the future (what will happen to me now that my money is at risk; how will recoup my savings; how will I fund my old age, etc.) is just as futile, for the future is an unknown – why worry about something that you know nothing about?

Being present means that we are now able to observe the moment. It means that we are able to choose what we want to observe. Do we choose to read the news? Or do we choose to read something else – a motivational book, a novel, our children’s homework? Do we choose to interact with negative people who are naysayers of doom and gloom? Or do we choose to interact with positive, vision-inspired people? Do we listen to or watch the news channels or to music and inspirational words? What is the reality that we choose to allow into our space and to observe? Being present allows us to choose our reality.

Release and acceptance are the next two Free and Laughing keys. Release involves letting go of our attachment to everything – in this case, releasing our attachment to money, to “our” money. It means releasing our attachment to all the things we thought we knew about wealth, money and finances; all the things we thought we know would make us happy; all the trappings and trinkets that human life has become. Not that we don’t like them – we just release our addiction to them. So that the things we must have now become the things that we may or may not choose to have. A major thing to release is our poor-me role – in times of crisis, we hold on to the victim role, which somehow seems to bring us comfort perhaps because of all the company of like-minded victims! Misery really does love company! Releasing the victim may mean releasing some of the people we associate with, or at least faking temporary tinnitus!

Having released, we can now accept ourselves right where we are in the moment – alive, breathing and grateful. We can accept all the good in our life – and the so-called bad, which we may choose to call “lessons” and so make good. We can accept who we are at the most fundamental level, and we can accept the situation as it is – a situation. We can also accept that the situation, like everything else in this material world, is temporary. “This too shall pass” is a wonderful affirmation for acceptance.

This puts us in a place to trust. I reminded my friend who called me in a panic about her money that the same energy that created the funds she invested once, is there to create it over and over again. The energy of the universe, which created all things, is still there, waiting to do the thing it knows best – create! We need not worry, we need only be clear and focused in our intention, and trust that our prayers are always answered.

And finally love – the only power! What a joy to love everything that’s happening. Times of crisis are opportunities to view the world with love – to recognise what’s really important in our lives – our family, friends, strangers who become friends if even only for a moment, our pets, our home, our surroundings – the magnificent mountains, the sparkling sea, the verdant vegetation – every little thing. When we view the world with love, then we are able to realise how blessed we are – and, as the line in the song “My Favourite Things” goes: “And then I don’t feel so bad”! Or better – we are free and laughing!