Audacious Optimism

Positivity as a spiritual practice.

Last week, on Earth Day, I was feeling discouraged.

We’ve known for decades that our way of life isn’t sustainable. The oceans are suffering. The forests are shrinking. The temperatures are rising. And still, we’re pumping plastics, toxins, and fossil fuel emissions into the world at an alarming rate.

It’s disheartening — especially when it feels like so many leaders are turning away from the earth instead of toward it.

That day, I was preparing to lead an online ritual for Earth alignment and healing for my membership group, Wisdom Circle. I wasn’t sure how to be honest about my feelings without slipping into despair — how to tell the truth and still inspire hope.

So I drew a tarot card. And I pulled The Emperor.

The Emperor reminded me that when the world feels the most fragile, it needs visionaries the most — people willing to hold steady, to create space for better conditions to be born.

Think of the Empress — the Emperor’s partner and polarity. She is Gaia: the lush, fertile earth. For her to thrive, she needs the Emperor’s strength. His discipline and boundaries create a safe space where her abundant, cyclical beauty can unfold — flowering in spring, bearing fruit in fall, nourishing us year after year.

What if we followed the Emperor’s lead?
What if, instead of giving in to defeat, we chose audacious optimism?
What if we woke up every day with the unwavering intention to envision a thriving, healed earth?
What if we committed to simple, everyday spiritual practices that helped us see, believe in, and expect peace, renewal, and kindness in our world?

If you walk the magical or creative spiritual path, you are uniquely suited for this kind of work. You are a keeper of vision. You are a holder of space. You already know how to believe in unseen possibilities — so let’s use that power to help heal and uplift the earth.

As John Lennon sang: You may say I’m a dreamer / But I’m not the only one / I hope someday you’ll join us / And the world will be as one.

Here are some strategies for keeping the vision, holding the space, and dreaming a beautiful dream for our future. Today and every day.

(There are Amazon affiliate links in this post.)

Practice Everyday Kindness

After the US presidential election last November, like so many Americans, I felt dread. I also felt super suspicious of strangers. (Did you have that too?) There was one day when I went grocery shopping in this painful mood, and I couldn’t reach the soy milk. A (taller) fellow shopper saw me struggling and grabbed it for me.

I know it sounds like the littlest thing, but in that moment, it was big. His kindness broke through the emotional wall I had up and made me feel safer and more at home in the world. And his small act of kindness reminded me to be kind to others, too.

So when you go out in the world, look for little ways to be kind. It’ll make you feel good. And, like a gentle breeze across the surface of the sea, it just might bring about towering waves of positive change.

Read this Poem

How perfect is this poem for us right now? It’s called…

Blessing

by John O’Donohue

For Josie, my mother

On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.

And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets into you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green
and azure blue,
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.

And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.

Spend Time Outside

Going outside is medicine.

If I’m stressed out or I wake up in a heavy mood, I know that a short walk outside will always, always help.

I also like to sit under a tree in my backyard to meditate, feeling the earth beneath me. (A secluded spot in a nature area or park will also work.)

These are such easy, little things that it seems like they can’t possibly amount to much, but the opposite is true. Time in the great outdoors is like a free massage or energy healing – it balances and harmonizes your body, energy field, and outlook.

So even if you’ve only got five minutes, go outside to lift your spirits and give yourself the most natural of natural boosts.

Do Your Daily Spiritual Work

Everything changes when you leave just a little time for silence and space every day. Pretty quickly, you’ll begin to feel so much more grounded, empowered, and at ease. You won’t erase all your problems or mood swings, but it will sure get easier to weather life’s ups and downs. And you’ll start a snowball effect of establishing other good habits and manifesting more and more positive change.

And if you don’t do it for yourself, do it for the planet. Do it for the trees, the flowers, the animals, and your fellow humans. We all need you to be a visionary. We all need you to have access to inner calm. We all need you to be at your spiritual best. Especially now! So carve out a bit of time to sit in front of your altar and meditate or pray.

If you’d like, light a candle and some incense, and – simply – sit.

Begin by noticing your breath. Notice when you are inhaling, exhaling, and pausing between the breath. When you notice your mind wandering, without judgement, bring it back to the breath.

Take some time to pray for and envision positive conditions for your day and your life. Ask the Divine to bless your loved ones and the environments in which you spend your time. Feel as if the qualities and outcomes you desire are already present, and smile to them, and feel gratitude. This will attune you to them and help you naturally draw them in.

Don’t feel guilty for asking for and envisioning what you want. The world needs healthy and happy visionaries.

Next, use some of the time to pray for and envision harmony and wholeness for the world. Send love and healing energy to the earth, animals, and people, and especially the causes that you feel the most passionate about. See or sense the most positive possible outcomes. Smile and feel as if they are already present and true.

Do Some Magical Housekeeping

Even if you can’t wave a wand and instantly establish peace and harmony all over the earth, you can absolutely grab your broom and some cleaning supplies and establish some peace and harmony at home.

And that’s a magical act. Especially when you do so with intention.

As you clear clutter, know that you’re streamlining your schedule, clarifying your thoughts, and energizing your magical work.

As you clean, sense that you’re creating a beautiful, supportive space for yourself and your loved ones.

As you clear the space, trust that you’re improving the vibration so that you can more easily hold the vision for positive change.

Create Beauty

Creativity is alchemy.

Whether you write, paint, sing, bake, dance, quilt, garden, or engage in any other creative act, do so with the intention to heal yourself and bless the world with the beauty you are bringing through.

I believe that creativity and spirituality are the same thing – a current of energy that runs through us, allowing us to be channels of Divine energy. I know that when I don’t write, I don’t feel right, because that’s a vital way the current likes to flow through me. I believe there is something similar for you – something you need to do in order to channel the Divine and feel like yourself.

If you sense the truth in this but you’re not sure where or how to start, I recommend reading (and doing the exercises in) The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It’s a miraculous book, and I couldn’t think of a better time for it. We need artists now more than ever.

Be Kind to Yourself

Let yourself rest sometimes. Smile at yourself when you look in the mirror. Notice when you say mean things to yourself and apologize. Cultivate self-love. Actively practice self-compassion. And take care of yourself: body, mind, and spirit.

Even though you’ve worked on this stuff before, you’ve got to keep at it. It’s ongoing. We are counterbalancing crappy messages we continually receive from our culture about how we should look and act and be. So, here’s a few reminders for all of us:

1. You deserve to rest.
2. You deserve to play.
3. You deserve to have times when you do nothing productive.
4. You deserve to eat delicious food, and plenty of it.
5. Your body is not for other people, it’s for you.
6. Your body is not for other people’s enjoyment or amusement, it’s for you to move through the world in.
7. There are people in the world who are better than you at most things, but none of them are better than you at being you.
8. Not a single person on earth is more perfect or more deserving of love than you are. But you have a LOT of imperfections, you say? Of course. Same same.

Here’s a book I recommend about how to be kind to yourself.

Here’s a great one about how to be kind to your body.

And here’s a book I wrote about self-love:

Guided Action

When we help, even in seemingly little ways, we feel better.

So say a prayer. Ask for guidance about how you can help. Then keep all three of your eyes open for opportunities.

Maybe you’ll feel drawn to help out globally, or maybe you’ll want to help out in your city or town by protesting or volunteering at a local non-profit. You could even call a friend or family member just to check in and spend some time catching up.

Don’t feel like you have to go big or go home. Remember what Mother Teresa said: “In this life we cannot all do great things. We can only do small things with great love.”

Oh, also, one bonus tip for audacious positivity: dance! To any song you want. I just put on Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard and danced by myself, and I feel so happy now. It was free and it took less than 3 minutes!

Well, what do you think? Are you going to try any of these? Or do you have some other ideas to share? Please chime in below!

And remember: my membership program, Wisdom Circle, is open for a limited time. I’d love for you to give it a try. Here’s where you can learn more and sign up for your free month.

(If you’d like to join but money is an issue, send me a message and let me know here.)