How to Stay Grounded during Difficult Times | 8 Steps

In many ways, the world seems to be spinning out of control, and our personal lives along with it. We hear about economic meltdown, peak oil, climate change, and more. The political arena is a muddle. We experience breakdown of relationships--personally or among friends. We can’t find enough time in the day and stress continues to mount. We are often worried about our finances, health, relationships, and work. How can we get grounded enough to be able to handle the winds and storms of these tumultuous times? These are the 8-steps that have helped my clients and me get grounded effectively, reducing stress and anxiety, while giving a solid sense of well being. Try them yourself—I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

1. Seeing what is: As difficult and painful as it can be, I have found that I must look at things exactly as they are. I must make an honest assessment of the situation. What is going on in the world, in my relationships, in my work situation, etc.? How are things actually?
2. Present with what is: Once I see, I must stay with what I see, even when it is painful. I must not look away. This has been extremely difficult for me because my modus operandi is avoidance. It takes great courage to stay present with what is, which is why I have to practice presence on a daily basis.
3. Support: Because staying present can be extremely difficult in the face of a world spinning out of control, I need support. I get support from others who are willing to look courageously at life. I get support from my spiritual practices, books, and nature. It comes in many forms and it only asks that I receive it.
4. Acceptance of what is: After I get the support I need to remain present, I must come to a place of acceptance. This is the way it is: good, bad, or ugly. Acceptance does not mean resignation; it simply means looking unflinchingly at the way things are right now instead of trying to wish them away or fight against them.
5. Gratitude: Now that I am seeing more clearly, it is important that I practice gratitude, despite the pain that I may see and feel. Perhaps this seems a bit odd when we are looking into the face of painful, stressful situations, yet gratitude can help us put things into perspective—it can even change our brain structure if we practice it. It helps us become more expansive, and in so doing, we begin to see a bigger story, more options, and greater possibility.
6. We are Connected: As I expand through these practices, I begin to realize more deeply that we are all connected. You and I are one. As I sink deeply into this awareness, something begins to shift in me. The way I approach difficult situations changes. Instead of acting from a place of anger, despair, or fear, I can begin to act from a place of love.
7. Action: Now I am deeply grounded. When the winds of tumult whip around me, I will be able to stand because I have taken root. And now–only now–am I ready to act because I will be able to act from a place grounded in love. Any other kind of action will be ineffective at best and destructive at worst. From this place of love, I can begin to bring healing to myself and to the world at large.
8. Let go: And, finally, I must remember to be unattached to the outcome or even the ground. After all, I intend to soar!