
On of the ways to feel safe is mindset. I don't watch the news. It is not that I am hiding from what is happening in the world; I will inevitably hear what's happening from clients, family, and the radio. But the news tends to dramatize and focus on the bad, leaving my mind with the impression that the world is "going to hell in a handbasket".
The truth is that good things are happening every day. People are showing love and doing good deeds for each other all the time. Yes, there are horrible events that happen. Yes, we get the news faster and over a wider front so we are able to be aware of the events quicker and more thoroughly.
Someone told me that the kidnapping rate today is actually lower than when I was kid (in the 80's). The difference in perspective comes from the wide news coverage and the amber alerts that let us know quickly when there is a child in trouble. When I looked it up I found that the crime rate is actually about the same as it was then. Once again, we just have wider coverage and outlets to hear the bad news.
I am not saying you should stroll down a rough neighborhood with money sticking out of your pockets or even that you shouldn't lock your doors. All I am saying is that perception plays a big role in our feelings of safety so we may want to look at the facts.
When I went on a month-long solo journey a few years ago I wanted to prove that most people are good. I wanted to erase the fears left from attempted kidnappings and attempted rape and see that not every person was out to harm me. I walked with confidence rather than fear. I kept aware and alert but not frantic. And the people I met were wonderful, nurturing, generous people that were also just out enjoying and exploring the world.
I'm grateful to know perception is a huge part of the world I live in. I'm grateful to et my news in blurbs from family and clients or snippets from the radio. I'm grateful to not fill my subconscious with images I cannot erase. I'm grateful to know that most people are kind and loving people. I'm grateful to read that the crime rate is actually the same as when I grew up fairly worry-free. I'm grateful to feel safe and know that being aware is more helpful that being afraid.
What helps you feel safe? What can you do to help yourself feel more confident in the security of your world?
May today show us the good in the people we meet. May we have loving interactions with the people we encounter and may we work together to increase the positive stories worth reporting. Have a beautiful day!