By Jo Mooy
When the next negative news headline scrolls across your computer screen, you have the choice whether to engage or not.
In December, Christmas, Hanukkah and the Winter Solstice are celebrated. Parties are happening everywhere. During this season of celebrations, unpleasantness usually takes a back seat. There’s little interest in continuing the daily arguments or drama as most people are preparing for the upcoming season. Nonetheless, headline news will show up on your radar screen whether or not you want it to. But, there’s a way to ignore it or get past it. Here’s what happened.
The headline, January 6th Assault on Democracy Worse Than Previously Thought, floated unsolicited across the top of the computer screen. Like a magnet that attracts a piece of metal, it pulled me from the sweet article I was reading about a little girl and her dog. I’m instantly thrown into another place that I’d rather not inhabit.
My emotional reaction to the sweet article was warm, calm, joyful, happy, and pleasant. My emotional reaction to the headline is anger, sadness, confusion, anxiety, and fear. I’m facing a decision point on the headline that darkened my peaceful realm. So, I go to a technique I developed for dealing with negative emotions where I pose a bunch of questions to myself.
This technique that I developed is called What Can I Do About This? It can be used for any headline or any situation encountered. It came about spontaneously during my studies of a Zen practice known as Wu Wei, which is known as the art of non-engagement! It’s not only catalytic but also it’s my personal Wu Wei Action in Non-Action practice.
I begin with the series of questions, …
I ask: Should I read the rest of the news article? Yes or no?
I ask: If I read and learn more about January 6th, (or any headline or event) how will it change my emotional state? Think about this or write it down.
I ask: Will I like that emotional state? Yes or no?
I ask: At this point in my life, does January 6th (or any headline) apply to me? Yes or no?
I ask: If I read more, can I personally do anything about what happened on January 6th? Yes or no?
I ask: Who out there can do something about the January 6th situation? (I think about who they might be.)
I ask: Do I have any role with them in resolving it? Yes or no?
I ask: Can I let this headline go, along with all the emotions around it? Yes or no?
I ask: Can I return to my peaceful and happy place after this? Yes or no?
I conclude with this realization. Somewhere in the billions of souls currently living on the planet are groups of souls, vibrating on the same frequency. Some of them who came on Earth to do certain jobs care deeply about that particular news headline. I’m convinced they are much better equipped to work on a solution for it than I am. And whatever the solution is, it will be ok.
Knowing that and feeling this knowing deep in my gut, the anger, sadness, confusion, grief, anxiousness, and fear (yes, all those emotions created by one headline) slowly dissolve. I’m not quite where I was with the sweet article, but I do feel better. I then go to what I do know to do, which is work in the invisible etheric. I have no expectation that others will join me. They may or may not be on that frequency. But, I do believe that what is imagined in the etheric will come into formation. So that’s what I focus on.
I then feel immense gratitude for the lineages of teachers who taught me how to do that.
Jo Mooy has studied with many spiritual traditions over the past 40 years. The wide diversity of this training allows her to develop spiritual seminars and retreats that explore inspirational concepts, give purpose and guidance to students, and present esoteric teachings in an understandable manner. Along with Patricia Cockerill, she has guided the Women’s Meditation Circle since January 2006 where it has been honored for five years in a row as the “Favorite Meditation” group in Sarasota, FL, by Natural Awakenings Magazine. Teaching and using Sound as a retreat healing practice, Jo was certified as a Sound Healer through Jonathan Goldman’s Sound Healing Association. She writes and publishes a monthly internationally distributed e-newsletter called Spiritual Connections and is a staff writer for Spirit of Maat magazine in Sedona. For more information go to http://www.starsoundings.com or email jomooy@gmail.com.