Safe Inside the Storm

There are so many things to worry about right now...it’s hard to choose which one to focus on.

Gas prices.
Food prices.
Job insecurity.
Deportations.
Gun violence.
Climate extremes.  

And the steady, quiet hum of something we can’t quite name...like the world has changed and no one told us the rules.

It feels like our very survival is in question.

Let’s just name it: the world feels unusually chaotic right now. It’s not just our imagination.
Things feel more unkind & fragile...socially, politically, economically, and spiritually.
And while fear thrives in chaos, so does possibility.

I sat with this the other day after hearing another heartbreaking story in the news. I’d already skimmed an article about layoffs, glanced at a post about wildfires, and listened to someone say, “Things are just getting worse.” I could feel my chest tighten, my body brace.

And then, my old friend GUS, quietly whispered, “What if you don’t have to fix it all? What if today… you just stay steady?”

It got me thinking about something that’s true but rarely said out loud:

Most of us are trying to control something that was never ours to control in the first place.

We scroll, obsess, stock up, over-plan, run away, or shut down...because the illusion of control is comforting. Certainty feels safer than the unknown, even if we have to pretend to get there.

But pretending is exhausting.

Here’s what I’ve learned: yes, the world needs us...our voice, our vote, our compassion, our action. We can and should do what we can to make the changes we wish to see. That’s responsible citizenship. That’s love in motion.

But we don’t have to let our anxiety paralyze us.
We don’t have to lose our footing or live in emotional chaos to care deeply and act wisely.

You can stand in your truth and take action...without spinning out.

You don’t have to know what comes next to be okay right now.
You don’t have to solve the world to protect your peace.

When the World Feels Too Big…Try This:

**1. Ground in What’s Real, Not What’s Imagined
**The headlines are designed to grab you. The worst-case scenarios your brain creates at 3am? They’re not your truth.
Put your feet on the floor. Take a slow breath. Look around. What’s actually happening in this moment?

**2. Ask: What’s Mine to Hold?
**Not everything is yours. Let that sink in.
You don’t need to carry the entire weight of humanity. You _can’t.
_Consider what is yours today. Maybe it’s taking care of your body. Being kind to your partner.
And yes...maybe it’s voting, volunteering, checking in on someone, or speaking up.
Hold what’s yours. Set the rest down.

**3. Make Peace with 'I Don’t Know'
**There’s a strange kind of freedom in saying, “I don’t know.”
It unhooks us from false certainty and opens the door to curiosity, faith, and even grace.
Try whispering it when your thoughts spiral:
“I don’t know. But I’m here.”

**4. Build an Inner Shelter
**When the outside world feels unsafe, create safety inside.
Your breath can become a soft blanket.
Your morning routine...a ritual of return to a more loving space..
Your relationships...anchors.
You get to build something stable inside of you. Even now.

**5. Limit the Noise, Expand the Wonder
**Less doomscrolling. More birdsong.
Less arguing in comment sections. More handwritten notes.
Protect your peace like it’s sacred. Because it is.

I know there are days it feels like everything’s on fire. And some days, it probably is.

But you’re still here.

You’re still breathing, still loving, still trying to figure it out.
And maybe that’s enough today.

So if no one has told you lately...let me be the one:
You’re not alone.
You’re not crazy.
And you don’t have to carry it all.

Just stay steady.
That’s the work. That’s the gift.

With love,

Diana
Love is ALL there is