Leap of Faith

<I wrote this article in March 2020 during the pandemic>

This little bird visited us one early morning in September last year, about a week after my first chemotherapy session. He was sitting right outside the entrance to our apartment.

At first, we thought he was dead or injured, but he wasn’t. As we came closer, he still didn’t fly away. I was able to pick him up, held him in my palm, and stroked his head with my fingers. He closed his eyes as if embracing my touch. We shared several magical minutes in silence until he flew back into nature.

I have been contemplating the meaning behind that encounter. However, the recent coronavirus outbreak has made its meaning apparent: 6 minutes read.

We are emotional beings. At this time, collectively, we are experiencing waves of fear as a society. Personally, I have also felt the surge of apprehension rippling through me as I witness the ongoing impact the virus is having worldwide.

I think there are two kinds of fear; one of the imminent and present dangers and another of the unknown. Many of us are experiencing a combination of the two right now. While fear serves a purpose, without proper judgement, it creates unnecessary confusion and chaos.

Fear triggers our survival instincts. It constricts our energy, narrows our perceptions, and we become self-absorbed, fight or flight. Fear of the unknown is like a dark fog that obscures our capacity for discernment. When we cannot see clearly, we assume that something bad is ahead, and so we do anything to protect ourselves: panic buying as an example.

Most media use scare tactics to control the masses. Pay attention to how you feel after watching the news or an advertisement. How often do they talk about joyful things that make you smile? Many of our day-to-day activities and decisions are fear-based, too. Fear is toxic yet addictive, like cigarettes, alcohol, or online videos. It is deeply rooted in our consciousness and can form a part of our identity.

Our collective consciousness is like the murmuration of starlings, sweeping and forming coordinated patterns as they glide across the sky. In my mind’s eye, our current world’s patterns are scattered and disharmonious. This is what fear does; it separates us from our sense of unity; it emphasizes a You versus Me; and Us versus Them mentality.

The segregation that results is one of the root causes of victimhood, blame, prejudice, anger, sorrow, and shame.

Humanity has continued to experience gut-wrenching cruelties and tragedies for many centuries because the separation has blinded us from seeing the truth that we are all connected. The Sun rises and sets every day and shines upon the entire surface of the globe without discrimination. We all see the same moon orbiting this planet we call home.

When we remember this simple underlying truth, it is possible to create a world for You and Me, Us and Us.

We are all born with our unique blueprint, and our individualised experiences contribute to the whole. No one is greater or lesser. Even those who seem ‘evil’ to our eyes, they too have a role within the full spectrum of humanity. They are our great teachers because they provide us with the opportunity for self-reflection so that we can become better and kinder human beings. There is always wisdom to be learned from any situation.

I once watched a nature documentary about geese flying over the Himalayas.

The flock attempts the conquest over and over again despite the uncertainty of what is ahead. They continue to rise and fall through unpredictable and ferocious winds, always trusting that they will ascend and reach their destination.

A Leap of Faith.

This was the message from the bird.

His visit was one week after my first chemotherapy treatment. A time filled with trepidation of the three more rounds still ahead of me. However, the bird took the leap of faith that I would not hurt him, and as I was holding this soft and tiny creature in my palm, I was inspired to take my own leap of faith to trust that I too was in good hands and that this journey be transformational.

What I am feeling right now is very similar to the period I was going through last year. I think we are collectively going through an awakening process.

I am sure many of you are feeling it, too.

We can only do so much as a single entity, but as a whole, we can do something greater than ourselves.

The pandemic will cease eventually, but humanity still has a lot of challenges before it.

Will we go back to the way we were, or will we strive to overcome them? In 2020, each and every one of us is given the opportunity to face our own darkness and rise above it, so that we can collectively create new patterns in the sky and soar towards somewhere we have never been before.

Underneath the turbulent current of fear, a breath of fresh air is emerging.

Transformation may seem difficult and confronting to our ego, but it is a beautiful process if we take a leap of faith and embrace it. After every storm, there is always a clear blue sky.

I know there is a rainbow at the end.

Love to you all.