Finding Light in Despair
Amid an endless stream of bad news, look for the good
Reading the news about the dozens of migrants killed after their boat sank in the Strait of Sicily; and the fires in Hawaii with lives lost, homes and businesses burnt to the ground, not to mention the recent fires in Europe and glacial floods in Alaska, I’m near tears at the devastation and what is happening to our world, there is so much pain and trauma. With climate change and war, there’s a near constant stream of devastating news. While we all do what we can, donate to causes, limit our use of fossil fuels, lobby industry and governments to act to halt and reverse the effects of climate change, there are so many causes close to my heart that I want to support and do something about. So many, that it’s hard to be everywhere at once, doing and supporting every worthy cause, of which there are an infinite number. It’s easy to feel helpless, swallowed up by the seemingly neverending bad news. I often feel like I’m not doing enough to help.
I’ve been thinking about my business, what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. I want to do what I can to bring joy to those who come across Ariel Rose, to light up people’s emotions and day through natural scent and self care rituals. Scent has the capacity to have such a profound impact on our moods and emotional state. While studies have shown that synthetic fragrance disrupts our hormones, impacting everything from fertility to mental health (if you’re interested in this, you can start by googling the impact of diethyl phthalate and synthetic musk), natural scent has the capacity to uplift, bring joy, or a sense of calm and groundedness. Scent has the capacity to make us feel good, and when we feel good, it impacts the way we treat others, and they then feel good and so it goes on, like a ripple effect.
Flower essences are an entire healing modality in their own right, and by adding these to our formulations, and offering flower remedies and essences, it’s my hope that they bring much healing and support to all who use Ariel Rose products. As mentioned above, as we are transformed and uplifted through the use of flower essences, we carry ourselves differently, and treat others differently, the good energy rippling out.
There is so much good in this world and in people, seek it out, notice it
While we can’t turn our heads away from what is happening in our world, our planet, we do need to look after ourselves and our wellbeing, especially in the face of what is occurring around us. We cannot help anyone from a place of despair. Our mental and physical health and wellbeing is so important. Despite all that is occurring in our world right now, things that may be out of our control, there is still so much good in this world. So much beauty, so much joy, so much kindness, so much to be hopeful about. We get to live on this beautiful planet. Look around you, look up from your phone, see where you are and the beauty that surrounds you. It can be small things, a smile from a stranger, the way the afternoon light hits an object, the scent of jasmine wafting through the air (my favourite), the way the light of the full moon gives a certain bluish glow. No matter what is going on around us, or within us, these things are always available to us. Take a moment to notice them. Soak it all in. Be kind to others, and to yourself. Sending so much love to everyone at this time, especially those personally impacted by recent events.
