Preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse

My apologies for missing my Thursday deadline again. Where did this week go! That being said I thought I would use the fact that I'm writing today, on Friday the 13th under the full moon, to address a very serious topic, with a dash of humor - the zombie apocalypse.

People who don't already know might be surprised that I'm really into zombie movies and the whole philosophical idea of a zombie apocalypse. Zombie movies are not simply gory films, but a metaphor for a society that has checked out in someway. They're about the most serious forms of psychic attack that can ultimately cause us to turn on ourselves and each other. These movies offer a visual representation of what happens to us emotionally when we lose our sense of purpose or struggle to maintain our own integrity and virtues when the world seems determined to derail us.

There are many ways we can see this happening around us. In the area where I live one of the major culprits is the use of heroin. My neighbor lost two of his former classmates in the last week alone to this horrible drug. Both of them were under 35. It makes me wonder what leads a person to make the decision to incapacitate themselves. This is of course an extreme example, but it is becoming more common. Even in cases that don't result in death it seems that as a population we are struggling more and more with our ability to cope with every day life.

So what do we do to prevent ourselves from heading down this rabbit hole? Well the first thing we need to recognize is whether or not we're predisposed to self-destructive behavior. If we're experiencing clinical depression, an eating disorder, abusive relationships, addiction or other compulsive behavior, professional help is the necessary next step. Many people though often feel they are more or less just mildly miserable as they go through their daily life. These individuals might not be ready to put a needle in their arm, but it doesn't mean some change isn't needed.

Many people I know in this situation are often stuck in a victim mentality, at least when it comes to certain areas of their lives. They see their situation as something that happened to them and don't believe they themselves have control. How to shake this will vary from person to person. The first step and most difficult step is always the self awareness to know that we need to make a change and that it's up to us to do so. We can't sit around waiting for our boss to make our job better or our spouse to make our relationship better. From there comes the task of learning to cope with the challenges we face.

I don't have any quick answers for this. The journey will be different for everyone, but the key is that if we don't want to become a society riddled with gun violence and drug use we must learn to cope. The threat of a zombie apocalypse is metaphorically always threatening, but through love, compassion and hope we can work together to scare those zombies away.

Happy Friday the 13th!

- Nicole

Fake It 'Till You Make It

I'm obviously a few days late with my blog post. Unfortunately last week I faced the loss of a dear family member. I wanted some time to think about how I could apply this experience to my message here. While going through the grieving process it occurred to me just how resilient we can be when faced with difficult times and how important it is to always face what is in front of us no matter how scary it may seem. This is true not only in the event of an unexpected death, but in all aspects of our lives that we may find challenging.

I remember in college while preparing for internships my classmates and I were all very nervous. We were asking our professor tons of "what-if" questions. She answered a few and then said, "Listen, none of you are going to be doing anything you're not capable of. Just fake it 'till you make it." This advice has stuck with me ever since because it is so true.

We can't prepare for every challenge that comes our way and it can become all too easy to convince ourselves that we're just not ready, or that something is not for us. Whether it's moving past an obstacle like job loss, divorce, death, or challenging ourselves with a life change, there comes a point when we need to throw ourselves into the mix even if our confidence is a bit lacking.

This is not to say that one should be reckless, but once we've completed reasonable actions to prepare ourselves for what we need to face, there comes a point when we need to decide where preparation and self healing ends and procrastination and denial begins. This will certainly be different for everyone. Some people seem to have a natural ability to navigate challenges, while others need more time. The important thing is to be aware of where we're at so we're not hanging on to a past that is no longer possible or longer suits us.