When bad things happen

By Nadia Halima

July 28, 2022

TW: Shootings, Loss of bodily autonomy.

I wrote this blog post with the intention of sending it out as a newsletter back in June. At that time, the news was filled with major bad news. Everyone I came across was having to deal with the news in some capacity. I actually edited the original post to remove the triggers so that no one has to relive that trauma (although ….. it’s still in you). But, unfortunately, triggers will rise again. Bad things will keep happening. Ugh.

I hope this post will help you better understand what goes on inside of you when bad things happen, and give you the tools to soften the blow for the future.

So here we go:

I’m sure you’ve noticed that there’s lots of fluctuation in how you feel day to day. Depending on what’s going on in the news and how much it impacts you personally, your feelings of wellbeing probably respond accordingly. So the first thing I want to cover is how to help your reactions to life become more steady, no matter what’s going on in the world.

So, okay, you just heard about something terrible, it's heart wrenching, makes you cry for days, makes you feel so hopeless and scattered. Or makes you angry, enraged, filled with fire. These feelings don't go away, they follow you into your hiding places.

Think about what feelings came up for you the last time something triggering happened. The list of feelings is probably long when you think about it. It can go from, sad, unsafe, disappointed and end up intertwined with hate and rage. 

From a healing perspective, ugly things that happen in the world trigger and amplify something hidden in our being. For example, something might happen that makes you feel like the world isn’t a safe place. But in reality, what’s really happening is that this new and current event is BRINGING UP past feelings of not feeling safe in the world and adding to it. It’s stirring up a pot that was already inside of you.

For most of us, we aren’t even aware that this pot of feelings and memories is being stirred inside of us. One way to become aware of the pot is to notice how BIG our feels are when you are met with bad news. If you notice that your feelings are big and hard to shake off, this can indicate just how deep the pot is.

So here's the thing, in order to continue to exist in this current life filled with so much triggering news, you HAVE TO figure out how to lessen the blow. You can turn off the news for a while and ignore things, but that is temporary. What you're really need is healing for your soul. When you heal your soul, empty your soul of the pain it carries so that news can be NEW. New and not triggering. New and not waking up the pains inside of you. This way, you can be free to do something about said news instead of just having to deal with/nurse the pain in you. 

We are all kind of useless until we heal. <<< You'll hear me say this a lot. We need you in the world, and we need your most healed version. 

You can lessen the blow of your triggers by healing just ONE of the feelings that come up. This is why I want you to become aware of your feelings, and just pick one. Set your intention to reflect on when and where this feeling comes up for you. I guarantee you're dealing with the same feelings over and over and over. It's exhausting and taking up so much of your energy.

Obviously, I promote seeing a spiritual healer. Like for real, what are we doing here? Walking around trying to live with pain in our soul and pretending it’s not there. You wouldn't walk around with a broken arm and not see a doctor. Spiritual healers are here, ready to serve. 

When you go within and make discoveries about yourself, your healer can help transform those qualities into something positive. Feelings of insecurity become feelings of safety. Feelings of being alone become feelings of connection and support. Feelings of injustice become wisdom and equity.

But in the meantime, things you can do to help yourself:

Do your practices like your life depends on it. Whatever that may be for you. If you meditate, do it more. If you pray, do it more. If you do breath work or dhikr, you guessed it, MORE. Be CONSISTENT. If you journal or sing or frolic in nature. You get the idea. 

When you do the work to heal yourself, you become a brighter light for the rest of the world. When you shine brighter in a real and permanent way, you are changing the world. You show up as a source of something good, instead of an energy drain or taker.

What would your life be like if you didn’t carry your wounds around with you in your soul? What could you accomplish? Who could you be?

Until next time my friends.

Much Love, Your Healer,

Nadia Halima

P.S. oh and by the way, this was too long for a newsletter….. and so the blog was born.