Sometimes it’s all just “too much” to take in. From every direction there is mounting evidence that this country has gone off the rails totally, taken there by an administration so corrupt and incompetent it defies the imagination. One that has been allowed to do so by a weak kneed opposition party that apparently has chosen willful ignorance as thier modus operandi.
There’s no one left to trust. Not anyone in office in either party, because there’s no way to ignore the fact that they’re all “for sale” to the highest bidder, in order to protect thier own political backsides.  We can’t even be sure anymore that those on “our own side” haven’t sold out to those they think can lead them upstream to the bigger ponds of power, and certainly only fools still trust the corporate owned media.

So what can one do, besides bite onto one piece of the chaos, and chomp away as hard as possible, while fighting off the sense of futility that comes when we realize no matter how hard we fight to salvage our small piece, the chaos just grows bigger and bigger.  

I get SO angry, sometimes it turns to rage. Once I reach a state of rage, I am consumed by this huge hot energy that wants to TAKE ACTION!  I can and do harness this, and use it to take whatever solid action is within my power to take. I write letters, make calls, get involved in local politics, there are endless channels for this powerful energy.

But there seems to be no time to rest these days. Things are moving too fast, and in such dangerous directions, and the need for action is incredibly urgent.  I’ve never felt such a sense that my country..and all it was intended to represent, is on the brink of being damaged so severely it may not even survive. No, this in not the time to “rest.”

Yet my regular life still requires the same time and energy and attention it always did. My close relationships, my family life, my work life, all the thousands of activities of daily life are still present, needing and deserving my attention, in spite of the growing chaos facing my country. So I work harder and sleep less, and relax little if any. I try to spread myself thin enough to cover it all, my head is spinning all the time now, except when I can fall asleep for a few exhausted hours at a time.

By the time I end up in this condition, I have lost my “even mind,” meaning the rational, wise, balanced mind I once had, that remembers how to prioritize my available energy and time in ways that truly reflect my true personal values.  My loved ones, my job, feel my absence, sometimes very painfully, but I can’t see it, because of having lost my “even mind,” to a nearly addictive fixation with “the fight.”  

My body often pays the highest price when I lose my “even mind.”  I never noticed the price it paid when I was younger, with a strong and fit body. Young strong bodies can sustain an incredible amount of neglect and a continuous overabundance of circulating stress hormones without apparent ill effect. Those effects often are hidden until middle or later age, but believe me they are occurring, and taking a toll nonetheless.  Sustained rages are really tough on the body, and when accompanied by sustained neglect, well..you could end up like me, with a sharp mind housed ina permanently damaged body.

If only I’d know how important keeping “an even mind” was when I was younger.
If only I had taken better care of my body, by taking better charge of my mind.
If only I’d been more present in the lives of my kids, when they needed me the most, rather than racing off madly on my big white horse, lance drawn, to fight  one injustice after another, leaving them to fend for themselves.
If only I’d paid more attention to the connection between my mind and my body, and it’s need for rest,relaxation, good food and exercise, rather than offering it mostly neglect and the abuse that has caused permanent damage.  

Yes, be warriors. Fight the good fight. You are all precious national resources and are more needed now that ever before.

But be wise warriors, please.  Be wise enough to remember you are “human” warriors, and that  human beings need a healthy  life balance in order to survive and to thrive.

Humans need to love and be loved via close reciprocal relationships with other humans. Be wise warriors. Make time for these.

Human bodies need to rest, relax, and play to stay healthy. Be wise warriors. Make time for these things.

The fight will not be lost if you take time out to take good care of all of these human needs. There are always others on duty..

Wise warriors  are the most effective warriors.
Wise warriors last the longest.
Wise warriors are what we need now.

From a battle scared ol Warrior  who finally “gets it.”

(crossposted from Ourword.org.)