Stress Awareness Month (and a Call for Re-Birth)

April is the cruelest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain.

Winter kept us warm, covering

Earth in forgetful snow, feeding

A little life with dried tubers.

—T.S. Eliot, The Burial of the Dead, The Waste Land, 1922

In our modern calendar, April is “Stress Awareness Month”. Ok, but why did Eliot describe April as cruel 100 years ago?  Because it forces life and growth (lilacs) out of “dead land,” stirring memory and desire when winter’s numbness, (which allowed for forgetting and survival), may be preferable. WHEW! A bit harsh, but I do get it. It is hard to awaken from the “slumber” of our winter. It IS easier to just drudge through Life with a (toxic) combination of denial and dogged perseverance. As another writer opined: “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation”. (Henry David Thoreau, “Walden”).

Where to go from here? Let’s start with T.S…He wrote his famous poem in the aftermath of WWI, and those lines reflect a disillusioned world where the emergence of new life felt painful rather than joyful, especially against the backdrop of such massive losses. Unlike other poets from Chaucer on down that celebrates Spring, Eliot argues that growth is agonizing when you are in despair, as it contrasts inner deadness with external life. My response: “What deadness inside do you wish to release to fully experience the return of Nature’s unfolding and New Life?” Are there aches in your Memory that you keep replaying? This is the (perfect) time to begin the Journey of Release in order to continue your Journey of Discovery.

Turning to Thoreau, his was a call to get back to Nature, console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats, and Not to sink into despair and desperation. What was true 170 years ago is true now…perhaps more than ever.

I would be the last to say that this was Not a long winter. Record cold, record snow. Record Yuck. So now what? Can I truly dredge up my disappointments and sorrows (for me this is focused on the seemingly unending litany of humanity’s crimes against itself and Nature) and look for Re-Birth? Have I lost all Hope? No….a thousand times no. But again, then what is there to do,,,where to put my energies?

The truest answers are often the simplest. Start at the beginning…where are my stresses? I know them, and they know me. Old frenemies we are. The past is a shadow that you carry with you…Since my earliest memories as a child I have been sensitive to world issues and human suffering. This Season of Re-Birth for me is the realization that the Shadow overhanging humanity need not be mine. Whatever (inner) shadow plays with which I need to engage need not include the Greater Struggles outside. It is an essential discernment that is needed for me (and I believe for all of us). Too many of us are carrying painful programming not of our making. Some of these are familial, some are generational. All are unneeded burdens on our Path. Take the time to find out what are your struggles, and what are those from the outside that you need not take on. Make a resolution not to engage in meaningless, unending struggles not of your making. To those of us with a social conscience, or those of us prone to reacting to outside struggles with anger or fear, this is not an easy request. But it is essential for us to truly Grow.

Imagine going through life with a 50-pound backpack full of woes and frustrations. Perhaps it is time to “lay your burden” down and experience the Joyful part of the Life equation. Give it a try…you might just find yourself enjoying the relief.

As to the “How to” portion, each of us has the (inner) programming necessary to cancel out and destroy inner malware- thoughts, feelings, limitations that limit our Self-Actualization. Find and embrace yours. For some it Is taking that proverbial “walk in the woods”. For others it is finding “me time” through meditation, prayer, yoga, sports, creativity, and perhaps Service to a charity or community activity. (Dads and Moms are allowed to include coaching). More than one of those can grant extra Brownie points.

My point is to start with the awareness of what is causing your stress and discomfort, and take some action, or non-action, as the case may be. COMMIT to it. This is essential. To have a plan and not follow through can only lead to more suffering. That IS a choice. My recommendation: “Choose Life”.

Once you have begun the self-evaluation process, follow up with a Spring cleaning. Actively let go of what you no longer need…this includes old garden tools, but it truly means old inhibiting thoughts, feelings and beliefs.

On April 2^nd of this year, Jewish people everywhere celebrate “The Passover”. It is an archetypal Journey of liberation. It is a Journey away from Pharoah (the Ego) to the promised Land. I am not Jewish but I certainly need to be aware of my own inner Ego, my inner Ramses. It also reminds me of taking only what is essential on the Journey- bread without leaven. It also reminds me it is a group Journey- no one can make it across such a desert alone, and without Divine help. It teaches patience and humility as well.

On this upcoming Friday through Sunday, Christians celebrate and honor the Passover tradition as well. The Last Supper is a Passover meal. Christians would do well to re-read Exodus in the Bible and look deep inside, as well as coloring Easter eggs.

Whether you are Christian, Jewish or someone of another Path, a common message emerges: Be reflective, be humble, and be Hopeful. Another Spring has arrived. The question is not how the Season greets you, but how your greet the Season.