From Co-Executive Director Brittany Boles' blog, reprinted with permission
Times like these inspire movement in the core of our being. Stillness is no longer an option; even if we are “frozen in the headlights,” our hearts keep a frantic beat. Evidence of souls and societies thrashing through the raging current is posted everywhere we look. Motion – movement – the urgent need to DO SOMETHING – becomes as pervasive as the despairing news fueling it.
In our effort to console each other, we offer our empathy and sympathy. We throw it into the tide immediately, with simultaneous abandon and authority, as though our words are actually hands outstretched: a glass of water for the thirsty.
“I’m sending light & love!”
We feel hollow, maybe even desperate, somewhere deep within our bodies. Static may fill our minds, or we may see red – if we can see through the tears at all. My throat feels hot and my eyes want to dart anxiously, fluttering beneath a heavy forehead. That is how I feel.
So – am I really sending light? Am I sending love?
Am I sending anything at all?
From my personal place of pain and confusion, I have refrained from offering condolences, compassion, or empathy. My FaceBook status stayed static as I lurked around reading people’s opinions and reactions: a lot of pain, anger, and confusion along with many simple, heartfelt declarations of “light and love” or synonyms.
But – here’s the thing: light & love are the opposite of pain & anger. Dr. Martin Luther King explains it in his widely-circulated quotation:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
So, how do we DO this? How do we actually begin to drive out darkness, to love-out hate?
Here are 7 ways I’ve found to (actually) send light and love. These can be done individually or with others. Keep in mind that magic happens when imagination becomes focused intention, and its power magnifies exponentially when multiplied by two or more people.
For those who want a quick-read, I’ll simply list the 7 techniques first and go into more detail about each, including ways to modify them for a group setting, later.
Read the entire, original blog post at BrittanyBoles.com for more detail and guided exercises so that you can (actually) send light & love!
The sport of tennis has been rated highest for youth to do better academically, be less likely to utilize substances and more likely to attend college. Science has proven the profound effect that mindfulness practices have on children’s abilities to connect with self and others, focus on tasks and to self-regulate emotions.
Oziera Ahmad—AK ambassador—is the first Player of the Week at her D1 School, College of Charleston
In the heart of every competition, it's the spirit, dedication, and journey of the participants that truly define success. This was vividly showcased at the recent Gilford Hill's MB Tractor/PSG Singles and Doubles Open, where Advantage Kids' very own Simon Kuczkowski and Logan Mack took to the courts not just to play, but to embody the values and resilience fostered by AK. Let's celebrate the enduring spirit and positive change Simon, Logan, and AK embody!
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