With Lammas around the corner, many people are thinking about the harvest, and with all that is going on in the world right now, many of us are facing a lean year. While we may be able to make our bills and keep food on the table, we may also be cutting back extras or being especially mindful about what we are spending our money on. And, of course, not everyone is that lucky.
But when times are lean, that is when we need to reach out and turn to our community (whether that is our pagan community, the local community or even the global online community). Trying to handle lean times in isolation only makes them that much harder.
Sharing can mean different things to different people. There are many ways we can share, and which we choose may depend on our individual circumstances (and the community that we belong to). Sharing can be done physically, mentally or emotionally.
Let's talk physical. This is the type of sharing we are taught in kindergarten, where if we have a candy bar and someone else doesn't, we can share what we have with them. But we can also share community style, where everyone brings something to the table so that everyone can eat. This reminds me of the story of stone soup, where it started with nothing but a pot and a stone, but everyone added a little something and soon there was enough to feed everyone.
Many people know it's best to buy foods in bulk, but if you have a small family that's not always practical. However, if several households band together, they can buy things in bulk and then split the cost and products. This enables you to take advantage of the savings without ending up with food that you can't eat before it spoils (or being in the position of not being able to afford buying enough of something to get the bulk price)
We can also share extras we have, either offering our excess to friends/family or to strangers (by donating to an organization). I've always been one who prefers to pass items along to other people rather than throwing them out, especially for things I just don't care for (or maybe clothes that don't fit but are still perfectly usable).
Now, maybe you aren't in a position to share physically, but you can share mentally. When I think of mental sharing, I think of helping other people find solutions to their problems. I saw a big outreach of mental sharing with the baby formula shortage, where people were sharing their family recipes for baby formula. I've also seen it with regards to combating food spoilage or making better use of limited ingredients. Sometimes people have resources they don't recognize because they don't know how to use what they have. Information is a powerful thing, but serves best when shared!
Emotional sharing is a way of helping to carry the burden of lean times. It's emotionally draining to be in a lean space, and sometimes we just need to be able to share what we are going on....having someone to listen to us is often undervalued. Emotional sharing is also a tricky place, and you always want to make sure you are giving as well as taking (if able!) so if you only ever talk about your troubles, you might find that the people who once helped you by listening aren't as willing to share their time with you if you never give them time to talk as well.
I also find that venting (because that's often what we need to do when we share emotionally) can become a downward spiral if you only focus on the bad stuff. And I also know it can be extremely hard to be hopeful and upbeat when you are worried about making bills or putting food on the table. I find that doing prosperity work when in a low place is doubly beneficial...not only do you really need the influx of prosperity in your life, but you need that shift in focus and that doing the work helps give you a sense of taking action (not just accepting what trials life throws your way).
Talking things out, especially in a group where everyone has time to share, can also lead to unexpected solutions. We are absolutely stronger together, and what may be insurmountable for one person might be something that another person can easily help with. That person may have an issue they can't handle, but someone else can. By doing what we can, to help each other, we are all lifted up.
A lot of people feel like they should keep quiet when things get tough...that maybe they don't want to be a burden, or they are embarrassed about needing help, or they want to preserve their perfect image. But we aren't meant to handle everything on our own, and there is nothing wrong with needing help sometimes. Especially if you also look for ways to help others, in whatever form you are able to assist in.
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