Back to Center: 'We are on the verge of losing all our freedom here'

The purpose of the “Back to Center” advice column is to provide perspectives for personal realignment and empowered living in these tyrannical times. Sarah encourages you to reach out to her with requests for advice about self-development and emotional and mental well-being. Please send your questions to advice@frontline.news. Anonymous and secure. Looking forward to hearing from you!

For all other inquiries, please direct your questions to info@aflds.org

I was reading about your work and articles you have written and that you are a resource for emotional issues related to the current crisis the world is going through.  I do feel scared and like running away when I hear of all the awful things “they” want to impose on us.  

But really is there anywhere to run?  And what about those who would be left behind?  It is best to stay informed and not only informed, but try to be a part of the solution, engage in the freedoms we still have, such as voting and participating in the government of our families, villages, towns, counties, states and country, and our business leadership, school boards, etc.  We have left it to others for far too long, and look what happened!  The greedy lower echelons of society have gained the power to do this!  

Who have we to blame for our own laziness and lack of caring for others, selfishness etc. for not participating ourselves before now when we are in a crisis.  All the best, smartest, business people have been making money for themselves and leaving politics and government to others and now look at what we have for a government – it’s pathetic, and now almost too late to turn the ship around, unless we get Trump back, that is, if the corruption has not gone too far to ensure we never win another election again.  

In just one generation, as Reagan said, we are on the verge of losing all our freedom here…Well, you can see where I am and why I’m upset with what is going on.  I am from England and I hear things are worse there than here.  I am in Arizona where our governor is liberal and weak, also with zero leadership skills.  Help!

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Thank you for reaching out! I want to tell you that you are not alone in feeling overwhelmed and distressed about the times we're living in — lots of us are going through it. I hear your cry for help, and hope that I can offer some!

There are many different directions we could go with the ideas you shared in your message — I will focus in on what is standing out most strongly for me when I read it.

It seems you have this strong sense that our society and government are in a fallen state today because the “good” people have stood quietly by, that the “best and smartest” were focused for too long on their own interests and didn't use their abilities for the greater good. You say, “Who have we to blame for our own laziness and lack of caring for others, selfishness etc. for not participating ourselves before now when we are in a crisis?”

I hear so much regret and lamentation in your words — Look where we are, and it's all our fault! There's also doubt — Is it too late? Is it still possible to make a change for the better?

I would like to suggest that it's only too late if we decide it is.

To decide that it's too late to make a change, or that a situation is too far gone to ever be redeemed is to give power to “circumstances” and relinquish our own enormous power to act, move in, and shape this world. If we created a broken situation, whether through action or inaction, you can be sure that we can create a new, healed, whole situation too! 

Yes, there are many things that are out of our control as individuals. There are people who have their own agendas and will not want to work with us on creating a better way forward. We see this all the time. But we don't have to worry so much about that because our job is to focus on what is within our power to do right where we are.

And guess what — you provided amazing suggestions within your message about harnessing the power you have to be engaged in positive change: “It is best to stay informed and not only informed, but try to be a part of the solution, engage in the freedoms we still have, such as voting and participating in the government of our families, villages, towns, counties, states and country, and our business leadership, school boards, etc.”

Yes!! If we've been neglecting these responsibilities to this point, let's start giving them attention today! If we realize we've created lazy, selfish patterns for ourselves, let's find something today that we can do to selflessly care for others! Wherever we have been as individuals and as a society and wherever we find ourselves now is all good information, but it does not have to be what shapes tomorrow. We create tomorrow by acting today, the only place where life and change can take place.

So, I want to ask you: What do you want your today to look like? What are some specific things you can do to help chart a new way forward within your sphere of influence in life? How can you challenge those feelings within you that perhaps things are too far gone, and experience what's possible in a new way?

I wish you and all of us the best as we strive to harness our power to create the kind of world we want to live in! 

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Previous columns:

• ‘I want to run away’
• ‘When we heard about the return of COVID, my daughter lost it’
• ‘COVID was a nightmare – not again!'
• ‘My kids are obsessed with screens’
• ‘Why would I want to stay home with my kid?’
• ‘I let myself be talked into a medical procedure I didn’t want'
• ‘I encountered a slew of racist hate messages online’
• ‘I want to take our family’s health back into our own hands'
• ‘Even though things are better with COVID, my friends are still on medication’
• ‘I am “awake” now, but I wasn’t always'
• 'My daughter is worried for her friends who got the COVID shot'
• ‘How can people call themselves Christians and believe these things are okay?’
• ‘I’m alone for the holidays for the very first time'
• ‘What’s a formerly proud American to do these days?'
• ‘How can I extend forgiveness for all the COVID atrocities when it still hurts so much?’
• 'I long to help my daughter connect with God in these times'
• Is it irresponsible to think of having another child in today's world?
• ‘I want my son to have strong male role models’
• ‘Our son has secretly been in the process of gender transition’
• ‘I wonder if the sacrifices I and my fellow soldiers made were worth it’
• ‘I know Scripture approves of 2nd Amendment rights, but the idea leaves me uneasy’
• ‘I was an approval-seeking people-pleaser’
• 'God is a God of justice, right? Where’s my justice?'
• ‘I’ve tried my best to be faithful and live a holy life; now I don’t know what to believe’
• 'Kids gravitate toward honest answers, even when they’re tough answers'
• 'I used to be a pretty positive person, but the world is different now'
• 'Do I have an obligation to say something to my friend who is about to inject her one-year-old?'
• 'How do I respond to wild hatred?'
• ‘All my friends have abandoned me’
• ‘Who am I to build a better world?’
• 'The world does not have to understand or approve of your choices'
• 'I get tired and overwhelmed'
• 'I vacillate between feeling inspired and useless'
• ‘I pity the people creating the lies’
• ‘The anger and hurt feelings are costing you too much’
• ‘People who once treated each other with so much love and kindness are now at odds’
• ‘Struggling with my relationship with God since COVID’
• 'I have lost confidence in our healthcare system, including my own personal doctors'
• 'Can you forgive yourself for the years you couldn’t be there with your daughter?'
• 'My wife is willing to take the sacrifice for her sister and I'm sick to my stomach thinking about it'
• 'I deeply regret taking the vaccine'
• 'Married 39 years and I thought we were on the same page when it came to things that mattered most'
• ‘How do I repair this relationship or accept that I may never see my son again?’
• ‘How can I stop fear from controlling my every thought and ruining my dreams?’
• 'How can I pursue my dream to find the person to marry, when it's so hard to connect with new people because of COVID?'
• 'How can I feel safe these days?'
• Advice column premier: Back to Center

Sarah encourages you to reach out to her with requests for advice! Please send your questions to advice@frontline.news.  Anonymous and secure.

Sarah Perron is a Certified Transformational Life Coach. Her passion is to help people create a powerful vision for their lives, identify and eliminate anything that holds them back, and step into their own unique greatness and mission in the world. She believes deeply in the power of coaching to bring fresh perspectives, ideas, and motivation to anyone who wants to thrive in life. Sarah works with clients one-on-one and in group coaching programs and presents exciting workshops on self-development topics. You can follow her on her YouTube channel Find Your Fire.

You are invited to book a complimentary coaching call with Sarah! Please visit https://calendly.com/sarahperroncoaching/45min to choose a time that's convenient for you. She looks forward to meeting you!