February 4, 2022
In this time of great reckoning, it’s important to look within yourself for answers, rather than outside of yourself. You must seek your own truth and do your own investigative reporting, so to speak. Even when we don’t know what’s happening around us, we can take control of what’s happening within ourselves. As such, I have adopted a 4-step process I call HOPE to guide me towards faith during this time of uncertainty, and I’d like to share it with you:
- Honest inventory of values
- Obtain self-awareness
- Practice radical curiosity
- Establish faith
First and foremost, you must do an honest inventory of your values, and ensure they are your values, and not values imposed upon you by outside influences. What do you value? What’s important? How do you want to live your life in the midst of chaos? If your inventory of values does not bring you back to love, compassion, fellowship, happiness, and faith, it may be time to reassess.
The second step is to obtain self-awareness–you must pay attention to the symptoms you are experiencing, which is similar to pain signaling. If your pain receptors weren’t firing, then your body wouldn’t have a way of letting you know something is wrong. Pain is just a symptom of something being out of balance.
Similarly, crisis is usually a symptom of something being out of balance that is trying to find its new equilibrium. Your body and mind have a unique way of signaling that something is out of balance, and if you pay attention, you can get to the root cause. You may experience mental symptoms, such as restlessness, overwhelm, anxiety, fear, trouble sleeping, or a sense of instability. Or you may experience physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, diaphoresis (sweating), numbness, confusion, mild paralysis, etc. All of these are symptoms of fight or flight, which is the sympathetic nervous system being cued up because of perceived impending danger.
When you’re in the midst of a crisis, it’s important to slow everything down and start paying attention. Ideally, you become aware of what the disturbance is, where it comes from, and what it’s trying to tell you.
Next, you must practice radical curiosity–get radically curious to see what’s there. Do you have any stories about what’s happening? And where are those stories coming from–are they coming from other people or other outside influences?
Are your stories from the collective, such as the news, or from your peer group or your family? And how do you know those stories are true? It can be difficult and destabilizing if you’re making up stories from sources of information that are biased, as you may question if you can trust them. Who do you trust? What integral sources can you utilize to get your information? How can you develop a deeper understanding of both your inner and outer world? Use your curiosity as a compass to guide you towards the truth.
The fourth and final step is establishing faith and transitioning from your ego into your soul, the deepest aspects of your being. It’s difficult to be in any kind of crisis without a sense of faith–faith in something larger than yourself. Ask yourself, “What do I choose to believe about life?” The answers may surprise you.
To your health,
Dr. Dan
Get healthy. Stay present. Help out.