Hey friends. Well, I went away for the last two weeks of June to visit my family in Trinidad. And I cannot believe all the stuff that went down here in the US while I was gone. I mean, if I'm being real, I can believe that shit went down, but damn so much in just two weeks. And there's just been no shortage of drama and ugliness since. And still, I'm going to ask you for real for real? How are you experiencing life these days? What's present for you, both front and center, and what's present way below the surface. If you have the energy to look, I'm feeling tired. Here at home, I've had a bit of a time we've had a bit of a time since I got back from Trinidad. You know, the tiredness from traveling, which was made even more difficult because my little one had a gnarly ear infection the last couple of days we were away. I'm also sitting in some uncertainty around some health staff. And I've spent a lot of time quietly just trying to digest all that has been going on here politically in the US, you know, the decisions that are being made and the government and that's on top of, you know, all the other shit that we were already witnessing and processing right. My Piecyk underlying vibe is varying stages of what the fuck yeah, that pretty much sums up everything for me. I'll be honest with you, I've been preparing this episode over the course of quite a few weeks now, like going back and forth on exactly what it is that I wanted to include. And I felt like just every week, my conversation was changing a little bit based on what was going on out in the world. And so I think I finally landed on something that I'm like, ready, okay, this is it to put out into the world. And as is customary for each episode that I put out, my conversation today might make some internal waves for you. And that's okay. I'm here for it. I'm here to support you through it. And I hope that you're here for it too. And if not feel free to come back another time. Or not at all. Both are okay for sure. We are officially past the halfway point of what has been a very tumultuous year and friends, it just keeps going. Shit is really scary out in the world. And I'm feeling a palpable outrage and fear from people that I'm connected with people that you know, seeing on social media, and rightfully so we have every right to be angry at what is going on in our communities. At the national level, politically around the world, those of us who live here in the United States, we have every right to be angry and terrified with the state of our country, and worried terrified of how the election election will turn out. And I know that this is a very, like front and center topic to be talking about. I promise I'm not going to drone on it much longer. But I need to address this because it really is a huge part of the shit that we need to talk about this week. And I don't know about you but for me I feel as though there's so much that's happening that is out of our our as in like we the people control. And it's completely alarming. The election is at the forefront of the mind for so many of us on top of multiple genocides, and that's all on top of all of the changes in legislation and horror and injustice has been happening for quite some time now. And still, as an aside, I need to say I need to urge you. If you are able to vote in the upcoming election, please do. I know it feels hopeless. But please still vote to support the policies that you want to see in place. And I know that it's really easy to get swept up in all the conversations and all the theories and all the things happening in the media, it can be overwhelming. And don't get me wrong. I'm not saying don't have conversations or read what's out there. Please have the conversations and continue to educate yourself. I know I am. But when so much is going on leading up to an election, and what will surely 100% be a pivotal event in our lives. It's really easy to get caught up in all the worry over what might happen from now. Not to mention the fear of what the fallout will be. It all makes sense based on all of the awful shit we've already seen happen. And still, I have to ask you, when asked us like as in like me to what will worrying get us. And I'll tell you, I used to be a professional worrier about all things. Like all things, it has been such a journey for me in learning how not to worry so much, and so often about so many things. And that really largely rests on present moment, grounding practices, for me, creating boundaries about what I will and will not carry. And also, I think the kind of wisdom that only comes with age and certain experiences. And while I've come a long way, I still do worry quite a bit. And so I really mean it when I say that this is a reminder for me, as much as it is for you. And so the shit that we need to talk about this week, is the reminder, or a reminder that might be really hard to sit with. And that is we cannot worry over what we cannot control. I mean, we can write, like in your mind? Well, we can again, and we can. Like I said I'm really good at that. Right. But the question comes back to like, when we talk about we cannot worry or what we can't we cannot control? Because what good would it do? What will the impact of worrying? What will the impact be on us in the end? And I know you know that answer is It will do no good. And the impact on us in the end will be shit for sure. Panic, Dread anxiety, numbing, giving away time, doing nothing that is soul filling, disassociating disconnecting from ourselves and each other. Just to name a few things, right. And I have to say this is not the time for that. It's never the time let's be real, right. But based on what we are up against. This is not the time for disconnecting from ourselves and each other. This is not the time to engage in behavior that will lead to disconnecting from ourselves and each other. Quite the contrary, this is the time to double down on our care of, and connection to ourselves and each other. And I say that in caps, bold and 200,000 size font. Now is the time to double down on our care of ourselves and our connection to ourselves and our care of one another and our connection to one another. And so I want to encourage you toward not getting all caught up in the worrying over what's going to happen the election. And I want you to not get caught up in worrying over what the fallout will be in like worst case possible scenarios. Yes, be concerned. Yes, be realistic. But remember, there is a difference between being realistic and worrying. And I also want to recognize that worrying is natural, it is normal. There's nothing wrong with it. But we can't allow it to take over our lives. We can't allow the worry to disrupt us. So when you feel the worry creeping in, honor that you're feeling it, honor the why of it. And then remind yourself that you are in the practice of not worrying over what you cannot control