Faith Over Fear

Faith over fear!

Which for me, can be very hard to remember during this time in life!

When I read the news and I see the virus numbers going up and all the amazing things that the doctors and nurses are doing I can feel faith, but I can feel way more fearful.

Because, yes, they’re doing amazing things, by doing everything they can to help save everyone who comes through their doors.

But they’re also staying in rooms with the people who are terminally ill because they don’t want them to make their transition alone since they can’t have family members there with them.

Ugh!! So amazing, but at the same time, so awful!

And then, the empath that I am, feels MY heartbroken, worrisome and fearful feelings all while feeling THEIR even more intense heartbroken, worrisome and fearful feelings that they’re most likely feeling while going through this on the frontlines of it all and then ALL those feelings stay with me for a very LONG time.

As an empath, I put myself in their shoes and I can FEEL exactly what I think they’d (I’d!) be feeling if I was in their same position.

Then on top of that, my husband, who is still going into work every day and who is the ONLY one in our little family going out to the grocery stores because he wants to keep me safe at home with kids so I don’t get exposed, causes me to fear that he may bring something home to us, which then has me feeling unsure if I should even touch him, kiss him, hold his hand or even sleep next to him at night in bed.

And because of that, I make sure he IMMEDIATELY washes his hands for 20 seconds once he gets home all while I’m telling him that all I really want to do is Lysol him down from head to toe (and everything else that he’s touched since coming home!).

And my kids!

They’re SO used to checking the mail every day and bringing in the UPS boxes that get delivered but now I’m saying “from now on I’m getting the mail and the boxes (with my gloves on!) until this passes!

So, yeah…I know I’m being smart!

Being smart is a SO needed right now and a must!

But I’m also being fearful, which is very hard not to be during this time!

And because I’m an empath and I feel everything DEEPLY, I can stay in fear mode WAY longer than I’d like.

And when I’m living my life more in fear, my faith gets pushed further and further away from me…to a point where I don’t even SEE or FEEL all the FAITH that is shining through all of this.

And I don’t want to miss SEEing and FEELing all the beautiful and UPlifting FAITH that is happening all around me during this sad and fearful time.

So when I see myself going further and further down the fear rabbit hole (which, at times like this, can be hard to witness when fear is in control), I tell myself to feel it, and then I tell myself…faith over fear!

And then I sing the words…

there’s a thousand ways UP….it’s the same way down…

from Above and Beyond’s song called Is it Love?

I love how those lyrics ALWAYS reminds me that YES…it’s TRUE!!! There’s a thousand ways UP (in love and faith!) and it’s the same way down…that there’s a thousand ways to go down (in fear and worry!) too…which way do I want to go?

I have to remember that I AM in control of my thoughts and feelings and perceptions!!

And I have to remember that I can choose to focus more on ALL the things that fill me UP with FAITH.

Like being out at nature…watching the birds fly around, the squirrels bouncing from tree to tree, the trees and the flowers and the grass doing their spring blooming, listening to music, playing with kids, coloring and painting with my kids, riding bikes around the neighborhood with my kids, exercising, creating my UPlifting word doodles, writing in my JOY journal, painting, reading romance novels.

Instead of focusing on all the things that fill me DOWN with fear.

Like reading and checking the news way too much, getting way too focused on killing germs on me, on my family, in my house and EVERYWHERE and focusing way too much on the political leaders running our country who make me feel unsafe and angry.

Yes, I need to be informed! But, NO! I don’t need to be filling my head and my life with that kind of information all day long, each and every day.

Because my empath self does life SO much better when I live my life that way!

And, yes, it’s way too easy to let all the fearful information take over my life…especially in this day of age when in one little click all that fearful information is right there in my hand, just waiting to be read and seen.

So I must GET into FAITH mode right now, no matter what!

My life depends on it!

So I will check the news once in a while and when I do check it, I’ll tell myself to stay in FAITH instead of fear as I read it.
Be smart and then go live my life on FAITH!
When my husband leaves for work in the morning and goes to the stores, I will stay in faith instead of fear and believe with all my heart that he will stay healthy while this is going on, because he, too, knows how to keep himself safe during this time.
Be smart and then go live my life in FAITH!
And when I check the mail, I will stay in faith instead of fear, by being smart and making sure we are ALL staying safe while we open letters and packages that come.
Be smart and then go live my life in FAITH!
And I will do the same, as I clean the counters (and everything else!) with soap and water and Clorox wipes and Lysol spray, reminding myself that…I AM BEING SMART and I will live my life in FAITH!!

And even though I’m not paying that much attention to all the news and information that is out there right now about this virus because I want to stay in faith mode, I AM not forgetting what is happening right now (I mean, how could I…it’s absolutely impossible…we’re all quarantined…the whole entire world is!)

But what I am doing, is every day I send daily prayers and love and light thoughts and visions to everyone in our world and everyone working the frontlines all while reminding myself that the best thing that I can do for myself, my kids and my husband is to stay UP in faith instead of down with fear by reminding myself, every day, to CREATE ways to do just that…with this faith hand lettering as a start!!

Because, for me, the #1 way that I’ve found to help keep my thoughts (and my immune system!) UP and staying way more focused on FAITH than on fear, is by connecting with my inner CREATIVE self…with this hand lettering I did as a start!! YAY!!!

FAITH over fear, Renee!! FAITH over fear!!

I AM SO VERY GRATEFUL for this reminder!!

Until next time…

Why do I hand letter uplifting words? Because it easily calms my mind, ignites my joy and slows me down so I can BE a more calm, happy + present mom (something that's hard to do when my mind is running five miles ahead or behind the present moment...especially during a global pandemic!) and truly focus on what matters in my life and all the GOOD that fills it!