Inner Resources

“In the midst of change we often discover wings we never

knew we had.” – Ekaterina Walter

Photo by Rick Hustead

Less than one week ago, an alleged obsessed fan shot and killed a talented young singer named Christina Grimmie  at meet-and-greet following her concert in Orlando, Florida. In the early hours of Sunday, June 12, a man armed with a high-caliber machine gun burst into Pulse Night Club, also located in Orlando, and opened fire. Forty-nine guests died at the scene; fifty-three more were transported to local hospitals, some in critical or even grave condition. President Obama swiftly decried the shooting as a terrorist attack as well as a hate crime. And then, yesterday evening, an alligator attack claimed the life of a young child vacationing with his family at a resort in Disney World, Orlando. Apparently, the reptile grabbed and dragged the two-year-old boy into a lake where he had been wading. Despite their herculean efforts, his parents were unable to wrestle the child out of its grasp; the authorities reportedly found his body earlier today.

There are so many different situations that require us to change not only an attitude or belief system, but our very way of life. It’s not an impossible thing to do, but at the moment tragedy strikes, it certainly seems that way. How do we go on after something like that? 

Grief comes in many different forms, and each one of us grieves and mourns in different ways for the loss we have experienced. There is no time limit or restriction when it comes to feeling sadness, anger/rage or even in disbelief about the specific tragedy we have experienced. These emotions can feel overwhelming and often come in waves (versus “stages”). In one moment we laugh while we think about the special, loving, fun times with the person who has died; in the next, we can’t stop sobbing, inconsolable.

But it also at times like this that we usually discover, eventually, inner resources to keep on going, keep on living and keep on loving. With the love and support of other friends, relatives and social resources, we re-discover that source of inner strength we forgot we always had, the one that helped us get through a previous challenge or loss. Sometimes, it feels like learning how to walk for the first time: step by step, one foot in front of the other. Baby steps. And then, one day, we wake up and experience maybe one moment, an hour, or just a few seconds of optimism about something in our lives. It may not be complete happiness or joy, but just a flash of brightness—a sensation of lightness—that reminds us that those other, positive, long-forgotten emotions are still possible.

Maybe not today or even tomorrow, but someday. And on days like these, that possibility is cause for hope and even motivation to take those steps. 

In a final note, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the victims, survivors and family members and friends of these recent tragedies. These senseless and tragic losses of life will not be forgotten.

  

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2016