As the creator of Happiness Recharge, it’s been my mission to encourage others to Recharge themselves with self-care and rejuvenating outlets. I believe the by-product of recharging is experiencing more happiness. It has never been more important to adopt this practice regularly in our world today.
I've always identified as someone who finds the positive. I instill this in my personal life, my professional life, and in my Happiness Recharge messages, posts, and books. It's given me purpose and grounding. But from recent events in the world and in my personal life, I have realized that sometimes there is nothing positive to see, nor any silver lining to find.
When the world is blanketed in darkness, it's truly hard to find hope. Admitting this to ourselves is okay. It's part of what it means to be a survivor. All living beings have an instinct for wanting to survive. As humans we not only want to survive, we want to thrive and feel safe in our environments.
These past couple of years have been tough to say we feel safe anywhere. And there is nothing positive to say about more than 6.28 million people globally losing their lives to the COVID pandemic. There is nothing positive to say about 21 children and teachers who lost their lives to a gunman in their classroom. There is nothing positive to say about families losing their homeland or lives due to war. There is nothing positive to say about the few deciding for many millions of women's bodies. There is nothing positive to say about loss in general. There is nothing positive to say, see, or experience ... except for our personal strength.
And sometimes it is hard to remember our personal strength can be tapped into. For instance, I haven't written or posted in a while as I've been going through some of my own darkness. I've been healing from three tickborne diseases after unknowingly encountering a tick cluster. I can't help but feel that the majority of this past year has been stolen from me. In addition, I've been working hard to get my way back to feeling safe in my body and in nature, which used to be one of my biggest rechargers that calmed me but has since become a source of stress.
I've come to realize that my experiences do not make me stronger; most times I am stronger in spite of my experiences. Maybe you can relate.
I think many people don't know or haven't felt their personal strength for a while. I've seen and heard others in my life post or talk about feeling helpless, hopeless, and powerless to make a difference against the darkness in our world.
I recently went for a drive this past week and passed a sign that read: fight evil by doing good. While it at first it seemed oversimplified and minimal, it got me thinking that this is within our own personal power to do every day. And sharing our goodness and strength can be a beacon of hope for others.
I don't believe we are all powerless, rather, we are loving beings that are witnesses to a big world that at times has lost its way.
When we can't see positivity from an experience or from an event, it's time to find it from another source. And it's especially time to find it by way of recharging with using self-care methods or rejuvenating outlets. It's time to do as much good as possible to pour into the world that needs it more than ever. It's time to feel your personal strength and remember that you are a survivor day-in and day-out.
May you remember your strength always.
Kelly Stone Cramer
To restore yourself and discover what recharges you, visit my free online recharge retreat and share with others who need this too.
Important health note: If you’re going through something that requires medical attention, please get the care you need. Remember that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it is a demonstration of investing in your own happiness – a true symbol of strength.