A crisis of fear

Last week I wrote about our education crisis. But there's something even deeper underlying our current political crises: a crisis of fear.

As post-election analysis floods our feeds, I find myself turning not to pundits, but to wisdom teachers. Their guidance feels trustworthy and evergreen – simple, and revolutionary:

🌱 Pause.
🌱 Look deeper.
🌱 Respond, don't react.

Einstein said it perfectly: "We can't solve problems with the same mind that created them."

The mind that fuels our current turmoil is the mind of separation:

🚫 Us vs. Them
🚫 Right vs. Wrong
🚫 Winner vs. Loser

All of it rooted in unprocessed fear.

After years of practice sitting quietly with my own mind, I've learned something fundamental: Beneath every wave of anger is something I care about deeply. Under every snap judgment, there's a vulnerability I'm trying to protect. Tara Brach has said, "Vengeance is a lazy form of grief." Isn't this what we're seeing writ large?

When we dare to investigate our fear – to sit with it rather than react from it – something remarkable happens: We touch the core vulnerability of being human. And from there, compassion flows naturally. Thich Nhat Hanh instructed: "Don't take sides in your heart." Because the enemy is not other people – it's the forces of fear and delusion that run through all of us.

Simply put: it's hard to be human. And as soon as we sense our shared vulnerability, dehumanization becomes impossible.

Yes, elections matter. But no election outcome will solve this problem at the root. As long as we continue valuing some lives less than others, democracy (and humanity itself!) are on shaky ground.

As societies start sliding toward autocracy, here's what gives me hope: This moment of breakdown can be our breakthrough.

✨ Old institutions are crumbling
✨Clarity is emerging
✨ Energy is rising

Our assignment?

🕊 Face our pain instead of numbing it
🕊 Feel our feelings instead of fighting them
🕊 Remember our shared humanity, especially when it's hardest

The most sacred work of our time isn't winning arguments – it's waking up to empathy, agency and interconnection.

While the algorithms and attention economy continue profiting from our rage, remember this: We don't need everyone to wake up. We just need enough of us. No mud, no lotus. 🪷

Fear keeps us separate. Love sets us free.