Meditation and mindfulness teacher Sandy Newbigging has long been a valued regular contributor to our magazine, and we enjoyed reading his piece in our Winter 2020/21 issue: a reflection on how we can help the world heal. Check it out below!
Helping the World Heal
Make A Positive Impact
by Sandy Newbigging
What can we do to feel more empowered in the face of world events? How can we be less affected by the spectrum of economic, political, environmental and societal events? How can we move from being frustrated, upset or worried, to making a more peaceful and positive impact within the world?
It is easy to look out at the world and feel powerless with regard to our ability to make any worthwhile impact. It can all seem way too big a task to undertake, or appear outside our control and in the hands of others. However, if we remain paralysed by our perceived powerlessness, then the world may end up being governed and shaped by the minority of people we passively give our power to.
If these people aren’t aware enough to bring about positive changes based on love, freedom and the collective good, then we may end up left to deal with the ramifications of our reluctance to step up, wake up and bring about a better world.
AN EMPOWERING SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE
Many spiritual teachers have said the ‘outer reflects the inner’ and ‘as above, so below’. As a result, the world is a reflection of the individuals who populate it. But what does this really mean, in a practical reality?
Greed, unworthiness or lack within the individual may be reflected as more debt and poverty in the world. The absence of unconditional love within the individual may be mirrored back by hate in the headlines. Unresolved fears within the individual, can lead to the world being such a scary place that millions feel safer staying home.
This long-standing spiritual principle can be linked to many problems we witness and, with this in mind, to be part of the solution, it makes sense therefore that we do the ‘inner work’ – so that a more loving, peaceful and safe world is reflected back.
Before proceeding, let me be clear. None of this has anything to do with blame, guilt or carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s about reclaiming our power to make a positive difference and, as Mahatma Gandhi once encouraged, ‘Be the change you want to see in the world.’
SIMPLE STRATEGIES TO HELP THE WORLD
First things first, set the intention to make peace your priority and kindness your personal code of conduct. The goal: To make your ‘inner world’ a peaceful, kinder and safer place to be.
Until I began actively living aligned with this intention, I had totally underestimated how much internal conflict and unkindness had been habitually taking place. I would be very hard on myself, super judgemental, put myself under immense pressure to always be better, achieve more and live up to almost self-violent, near-impossible standards.
I quickly started to see how often I made certain things more important than my inner peace, such as being on time, being right, or being liked. I would lose my peace if ever accidentally running late. I would have imaginary arguments, often ending up tense and annoyed. I would get upset and hurt whenever someone somewhere decided they didn’t like me.
It was exhausting and, more importantly, it became obvious to me that if the outer does reflect the inner, then my personal contribution wasn’t necessarily helping towards a more peaceful and loving world.
Beyond the intentions of prioritising peace and being kind, I believe we can all make simple changes that can enhance our positive impact upon the wider world. Some practical examples: meditate every day. Get out in nature as often as possible. Listen to more soothing music and select more heart-lifting movies. Take time to cook good meals, not as a means to an end but as a nourishing, self-loving act.
If these suggestions sound too superficial for your taste, then other ways to ‘do the inner work’ may include being willing to let go of any guilt, grief and grudges – by forgiving yourself and others for anything that’s happened in your life so far.
Since making peace my priority and kindness my personal code of conduct, my inner world has become a more pleasant place to be. I warmly invite you to do the same. Dedicate your days to cultivating an inner climate of personal peace, power and positivity. In doing so, I believe we can all raise our vibration, access higher levels of consciousness and play our part in a healthier, happier and freer world.
Sandy is the creator of the popular Mind Detox and Mind Calm methods. Visit his website for more on his online sessions, club and academy.
