I am upset about the election. I admit it – it has thrown me off. Political junkie combined with really caring about the outcome is a formula for losing sleep and feeling like I am in a nightmare. My mother chastened me over the weekend for letting it get to me. Don’t get me wrong – she cares too. Yet we still have to live our lives. My grandparents had daily struggles living through the depression, World War II, rationing… the list goes on. They grew strong, and learned to get through. Mussar has taught me that we need to keep striving to be a mensch even in difficult time. I’ve decided that I need to practice Trust to overcome Election Stress Disorder.
If I let a certain candidate just take over my mind, if I let the stress spill over into other parts of my life, then he wins; he, who wants to sow anger, panic, discord. After his rant about Mexican rapists, I vowed not to give him any more airtime. That is a vow I could not keep. But, I need to move back in that direction. So he will not be named here, because I am taking away his power to make me angry and upset and fearful about the future.
I feel so fortunate that my Mussar practice has taken me to the soul trait of Trust. The mantra for Trust is:
Trust in God, but tie your camel
If you are unsure of the Divinity, think of this as a reminder that most things work out. And, a reminder that whatever happens, you will be able to handle it. And, a reminder that you only have a limited sphere of control.
7 Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord; the Lord will be his security.8 He will be like a tree planted near water; it spreads out its roots by the river; it does not notice when heat comes; and its foliage is luxuriant; it is not anxious in a year of drought but keeps on yielding fruit.
Originally, this blog post was in my email newsletter. I got such a strong response that I created this post to help reach other people. Many have written to me that they are doing the tree meditation. Together, we are creating a forest.