What a turbulent year! Looking at the world picture, 2011 is bound to be remembered as the year when natural disasters due to freaky weather (floods in Australia and Thailand, huge tornadoes in the US, terrible drought in East Africa) and otherwise (big earthquakes in New Zealand, Turkey, and Japan) have become part of the norm. And, as if this weren’t enough, catastrophes made worse due to human error (the riots in London, the Euro crisis and Japan’s nuclear debacle “controlled” by the heros who worked in the plants) have added to the toxic mix, and caused many to live in constant worry and fear. Seems as if we’ve been thrown into a nightmarish novel.

Who wouldn’t feel afraid in such unstable times? Yet, getting frozen in our fear can only exaggerate them and increase its power over us, making our lives feel hopeless and completely out of control. To get a handle on our fears and reignite hope, we MUST TAKE ACTION. Helping others in the face of disaster diminishes our fear as we come to realize that we are not powerless, but can DO positive things for ourselves and others even in the face of our fear.

Adopting a positive can-do attitude along with taking action becomes an incredible neutralizer to fear and worry. We can choose to be the victim and drown in our sorrow, or learn from the painful experience and become more compassionate and giving because of our own suffering. This, in itself, is a part of healing, and also what spiritual leaders throughout history have taught. This is what being HOLY (becoming WHOLE) is all about. May the end of 2011 bring this gift to you, feeling more peace within by taking caring actions without.