Love on the larger scale

It occurs to me that the basic premise of my last post -- that worrying about the people we love is not itself an act of love -- also applies to how we think about the world.

There is so much fear in our public conversations these days: fear of climate change, fear of terrorism, fear of oppression, fear for the economy, fear of changing values, fear of "What will happen if...?" 

These fears are being given voice all over the place, and I don't think they serve us, either personally or as a wider society.

I would like to see the fear-spreading replaced by conversations of what we want and are working toward.

Our fears keep us from seeing straight. They trick us into thinking that we are weak and lack resilience. They prime us to look for enemies, and overlook potential allies. They shut us off from our courage, creativity, and flexibility -- all the things that we need to solve problems. And they can even create self-fulfilling prophecies, because too often our fearful brains think that being *right* means being safe.

If we want the kind of society and future we say we want, we have got to get ourselves out of fear mode. It may not be easy or automatic, but it is possible, and I think it is a prerequisite for anyone who wants to make a positive difference in the world.

How do you move from fear to love in the face of large-scale issues?

How do you stay focused on what you *have* and *want* and *value* rather than all the things you *don't* want?

How do you keep working for the good without getting sidetracked by the bad?

I would love to hear what works for you.