In a world with so much noise, it can be hard to find quiet; however, the quiet spaces are needed in order for us to remember who we really are in the face of chaos. When the going gets tough, it’s important to stay true to you.

I think we can all agree the past two weeks have been pretty tumultuous. If your Facebook newsfeed was anything like mine, it made you want to run and hide. It made you question how there could be so much hate in this world. It made you angry to see the words that you were reading from people you had thought were decent. And if you are like me, your friend list may have gotten a little bit smaller lately.

I feel as though social media needs to be closely monitored during these tough times – not by a third party, but by ourselves. In prior blog posts I have written about the power of affirmations, repeating something over and over until it becomes a conditioned belief in your mind. If the power of affirmations are true, and I believe that they are providing you

put some skin into the game and not just repeat what you want, then I think the same could also be said for what we repeatedly read or see on Facebook and in the media. If it’s repeated enough times, it becomes true without potentially being fact.

I have seen hateful words flying from all ends of the spectrum lately. If you voted for Party A you are a bigot, a racist, a homophobe, a moron and a variety of other things. If you voted for Party B you don’t care for veterans, don’t support police, promote corruption, are way too liberal, and a bunch of “cry babies”.

Are you though?

Truth be told, I have had moments of doubt within myself the past two weeks wondering if I am any of these things. I hear it so much, it has gotten into my head and made me question who I am. How crazy is that?! I can honestly say that I am none of the things mentioned in the above paragraph for either side of the fence. None. My vote was based on policies, the issues, and not the media propaganda that was uglier this round than I think it has ever been before. But the fact that I have allowed that noise to get to me the way it has leads me to believe that I can’t possibly be the only one. It’s a big world and I am not that special.

The only defense that I have found in this situation that actually works is not words of combat, de-friending, or avoidance of situations where there may be tension – but just staying true to who I am. Just being a decent person. Allowing my actions to speak louder than my words ever could. To not feed in to the BS. To be the light in the darkness and pray that others eventually find it within themselves to do the same.

In times like these you have to know who you truly are because the noise will come and overtake you if you allow it, or if you aren’t paying attention. Knowing who you are is what will get you through, allow you to continue to stand tall, and allow you to continue making your life and the lives of those around you the best life that it could be – regardless of what might be happening elsewhere.  The world is inherently dark but it is up to us individually to be the light, especially in tough times. It’s up to us to take our best qualities in times where we would rather shy away, and put them out there greater than we have before. It’s up to us to say, “Well, everyone else might not be this way or feel this way, but I do and I’m going to keep on keeping on like this – because this is who I am”. That’s what we were made for and the great thing about our best qualities is that we are in control of demonstrating them and that no one – NO ONE – has the power to tell us that those qualities aren’t what we possess. So know who you are, and show others – even if it feels better to shy away.