The swells of anger & anguish that threaten to swallow us all

Over the last few weeks, we have seen a swell of rage about the government’s lockdown regulations. Open letters have been penned. Petitions have been endorsed. Urgent court applications have been unveiled. People are increasingly outraged. Some have rightfully labelled this a middle class, privileged disgruntlement. It has also been drawn down racial lines. Whatever the motivation, people’s opinions are rock-solid.

But perhaps we should consider that this anger and indignation that is manifesting as bitterness and animosity towards one another, is mistaken for anguish and fear. Such anxiety has led to resentment and resentment to loathing. We find ourselves in an uncertain world, trying to decipher emotions that we are unable to quite comprehend. As part of this process, we are battling to label this heaviness we are feeling. All of this is also spilling out in hysterical and dangerous ways. So much pain out there in the world just beyond our walls of privilege. What many of us may be battling to label is that sense of apprehension and angst.

Where we once felt the fear of having to make decisions, we are now succumbing to the fear of being disempowered from making those decisions. We are increasingly told about random regulations without an explanation. We are petrified that government has removed our civil rights from us and our freedom to make choices that impact on the lives of those we love.

We are reluctant to acknowledge that we are concerned about how this will all play out and how this will impact on our lives. It is the easier path to be enraged and to turn on one another, completely dismissing any conflicting alternatives.

If we do not learn to manage our fear and our apprehension, we will end up drifting into the darkness.

Whilst we cannot control what happens around us, we have a choice as to how we react. We are all navigating this storm together; we are just in different boats. We have all lost something. We are all scared. That said, we can still be our own heroes, becoming better than we were yesterday. We need to look within and find our courageous heart. Let us dare to lean into our vulnerability. Let us tap into our creativity and find some solace in the knowledge that we will conquer the darkness and let the light seep through.