Staying Open To The Good Without Turning Away From The Bad

There is so much we could focus on right now.

So much that is heartbreaking, frightening, infuriating. And also, somehow, still so much that is tender, miraculous, and alive.

Both are true at the same time. And we have to learn how to hold both if we want to survive.

If we want to make any kind of difference, even in the smallest, most human ways, we have to stay connected to what is good in our own lives. 

Not because everything is fine. Not because external suffering doesn’t matter. But because we need somewhere to draw strength from. To source our power from a well of inspiration instead of a well of defeat.

When we let the good things actually touch us: a real conversation, a moment of beauty, a sense of meaning, a breath that lands…something inside us opens instead of contracts. We soften in places we would otherwise be hard.

Being touched by our own good enables us to create good for others. It’s what gives us the capacity to keep going without becoming numb or brittle. Without it, the weight of everything else eventually flattens us. We either shut down or burn out. Neither helps anyone.

There are terrible things and there are beautiful things. Both are real, and both are happening at the same time.

The good does not erase the bad. It doesn’t cancel it out or bypass it. What it does is give us enough room inside ourselves to stay present. To feel without collapsing. To care without disappearing.

And the bad does not negate the good. In fact, it makes the good so much more sacred. The light in the dark. The promise that all is not lost, and there is so much on the horizon that can and will change.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed…so am I. So is everyone. And that’s okay. 

My advice: let yourself be present with what is good, too. Let what is steady, nourishing, and true in your life flourish. Because that is what allows you to remain engaged with the world as it is, and to bring your own personal magic forward.

We are allowed to hold both. In fact, we have to.

The Self Worth Challenge starts this Sunday inside the SHIFT with Jamie membership. If any of this resonated with you, you should sign up.

Ask yourself:

What is something good in your life that you have been rejecting, avoiding, minimizing, or feeling bad about because you don’t feel worthy of the good?

How can you bring your attention back to the good in a way that is nourishing and energizing?

Name three ways you will share joy with the world outside you this week.

How can you hold a better balance between the good and bad? What steps do you need to take to achieve that?

With love,
Jamie