Friday, January 30, 2009

Hugging the Monster


I heard a man say yesterday that in these difficult times we have to "Hug the Monster."  This phrase struck me because lately my oldest has been hiding from a monster in our house.  It seems like our whole lives lately revolve around this monster.

And I think that's how it is for a lot of people right now.  They might not have the literal big black blob hiding in their house, but they may be battling the monster of a lost job, tougher than normal economic times, foreclosure, etc...

We are all faced with the monster of what's happening in our world and to our planet.  And the news became even more bleak this week.  I know in times like these it's easy to give-up, panic, do nothing.  But ignoring the monster doesn't make him go away.  Hiding in our rooms with the door shut like my 3 year-old doesn't make him go away.  Most of the times, monsters leave on their own, after they have been stared down and told "You will not get the best of me!"  

And so my dear friends, though it may seem hopeless, that's what I am going to try to do.  That's what I hope you will try to do with whatever monsters you face on whatever fronts.  Because in the end, taking even the smallest of actions is empowering.  It makes us stronger and the monster weaker, and it shows us that we can make a difference.  And though the difference may be small, and it may seem confined to your own little world, trust me when I say that it isn't.  You having courage helps me to have courage and that means something!

Have you hugged a monster lately?  Are you hugging one now?  How do you get through it?    Please share your story and your courage with us.

5 comments:

ParentingPink said...

I love that phrase. We have lots of monsters around our house too (at least our girls think so!). How do I "hug the monster?" I try to keep things in perspective and constantly remind myself that I am lucky for what I have. It's so important in times like these!

Lucy Pursglove-Jones said...

This post is very inspiring Willo. I too live with a 3 year old :)

I'd say the biggest monster my husband and I have at the moment is our bank balance! Hence our step forward to 'make do and mend' rather than 'consume more'.

I guess as mentioned, it's perspective that helps us through.
Unfortunately it usually takes seeing or hearing of someone else's bigger and badder monsters to shift our thoughts back into perspective.

Xx

MLDB said...

Willo, you always see things so positively....thanks! Like everyone else, our monster is money. I hate thinking about it, and avoid spending it,just so I don't have to think about it.

Willo said...

Parenting Pink, thanks for visiting! We would love to have you stick around!

Sounds like a lot of us, myself included, hug the money monster. So tomorrow I am going to blog about one way I have found that has made cuddling up to that particular monster, easier.

Melinda said...

Love the idea. I wonder, is it taking the analogy too far to say that maybe we can confront the monster, work things out, hug him, and then work together? Ie, can the monster somehow make us more powerful, by springing us into action, catapulting us further toward progress?

Just a thought! I suppose that's what I'm doing in starting a business during this down time. We're hoping to help struggling businesses and communities rise back up using the power they already have to come together, work together, network together. ...