Be Presidential

What is it that you can do in times of uncertainty, times of fear? What is it that you do when you seem to be up against everything that you do not want? When the world is telling you that you need to react and that your life depends on it? What do you do, how do you act when it appears that there is a monumental struggle between “good” and “evil”?

The world has been stirred up. All of the emotions that we have been trying so hard to repress, suppress and escape from are right at the surface and we don’t seem to know what to do next. It seems that all of our old ways of dealing with our humanness aren’t providing any relief: bitching, whining, crying, expressing our fears, obsessing over other people, hiding from our feelings through television, social media and other distractions just doesn’t seem to be helping the way it used to. We all are facing a choice, (and it is a choice,) of who to be now. We are faced with the choice of what to do now that all of our old survival mechanisms are no longer providing the relief that we seek.

I feel it is a privilege to be aware of this choice. For so long, I felt that I really didn’t have a say in my experience of the world. Life just happened to me: I felt emotions and had scary thoughts. (I blamed “hormonal imbalances in my brain” for my depression and anxiety.) But you have more control over your neurotransmitters than you know.

I feel grateful to be living during such a controversial time with so many contrasting points of view, feelings and opinions, and take it as an opportunity to reaffirm my very first and my only true human right: The ability to choose who I am in any given situation.

I have absolutely no control over other people. I have no control over who they choose to be, how they choose to act, what they choose to do, their morals, their character, what they value, who they preach to, what they hold dear, (if anything), their acceptance of others, their opinions, their words and their influence on the world.

If I believe that anyone else needs to be different than what they are, I contemplate what it is that I am asking of them. If I feel they need to be more compassionate, it is actually me who needs to integrate compassion more into my life. If I demand acceptance of others, I must practice it myself. If I feel that America needs healing, I must heal me first.

There is only one President. No matter your level of support for this one person’s behavior, we all can be pointed back toward ourselves. Who are you? Who are you being?

My sincere, most heartfelt intention, strongest vision and hope for our nation is that we use this conflict and seemingly uncertain time to be reminded of who we are, that we no longer project our power onto a single individual who is supposed to take care of us so we can keep our excuses for remaining small. I see a whole nation of presidents emerging, whose strength comes from within, from the love that we own within ourselves and share with others through acts of kindness and holding their best interests dear to our own hearts. I see more and more people choosing to explore the contents of their souls and discover the infinite goodness that resides in them. I see people choosing to listen to their body and valuing peace in all of its forms.

I’ve said this before, but truly, what is it that you want in a president? Who do you admire for their strength of spirit? Take that and merge it into your being. Soak it in. Surround yourself with it, imagine how you may be with those traits and visualize what such power and grace looks like on you. Feel how it will be to be in your relationships and interact with the world from this new state of mind. This level of functioning is available to us all, and I am just here to remind you that the choice is yours.

With love and support, -Emilia Ann​