This photograph of a firework explosion isn’t an optical illusion. In fact, I’ve barely photoshopped it other than to adjust some levels.

I know many of my readers are American. And I know that not all of you are not from the US, and I’m so glad you to have you here! For those of you not from the US, here is a little about the Fourth of July.

The Fourth of July is a big deal in American culture. It is the anniversary of our independence and is even called Independence Day. Many Americans celebrate the independence of the United States of America with barbecues and fireworks. Some cities offer large firework displays. Some cities allow citizens to set off their own fireworks.

This featured photograph above was taken last Fourth of July near Bozeman, Montana at the most incredible private firework show I’ve ever seen. This event is hosted by a man who hosts a party each year, partially in tribute to his late wife. No one was hurt in the explosion. Damage was minimal. The firework show continued for another 30 minutes after this shot was taken and the fire was put out. To say it got my attention is an understatement!

The reason no one was hurt is because the host of this event was very well prepared. He had taken precautions. He and his co-hosts were prepared with a plan and resources in case something happened. The people there all had a set of common goals: to stay safe and have fun.  Oh, and the universe was looking out for us all!

But it made me think… what can we do when all our plans in our lives end up in an explosion? What happens when everything goes wrong?

Perhaps to call it an explosion is being overly dramatic, but…

Ok, ok. Not many of our lives, hopefully, have this kind of drama. But we can still find ourselves in uncomfortable situations that challenge our positive thinking and have us filled with doubt and fear.

I have fallen off of the spiritual wagon in the past couple weeks. I got out of my routine, went on vacation, you know the drill. I missed several consecutive meditations. I stopped journaling for a few weeks. I drank alcohol for the first time in months. Drinking alcohol is a guaranteed way to lower your energy and your vibration. Not surprisingly, with all of that combined I found myself in the middle of a fear and doubt bonanza.

I’ve spent the last several days getting my balance back. I got back on my meditation wagon. I started journaling again. I left the wine in the Midwest. And I’ve been relying on the spiritual principals I teach: choosing love over fear, forgiving, and living in gratitude.

How can you get back on the right track?

• Rely on the preparations you have already made. Chances are, you already have things in place that can help you. In the case of this photograph, there were buckets filled with water and garden hoses already connected and set to spray water. You have those things in place, too! Take some time. Calm down. Breathe deeply. And make a list of the preparations you have already made.
  • What did you have in place for your plan b? Most of you already have this in mind whether you admit it or not.
  • What systems have you had in place that worked before? Yoga, meditation, journaling, running, walking, time in nature….?
  • Are you taking care of your physical body with proper nutrition, enough rest, plenty of water and avoiding chemical toxins?
• Take time to be grateful. By expressing gratitude, you immediately change your vibration. You change your perspective. The universe also responds to this change by delivering more of what you are grateful for, which gives you even more to be grateful for!
• Trust that help is out there if you are willing to accept it. Check out the second photo in this sequence. You don’t see people turning away from the fire caused by the explosion. You see people running right toward it to help. Help is there for you, too! Who do you have in your life that is running toward you trying to help? Consider letting them in.

• Once the crisis is over, get right back on track and keep going. Sure, you are probably shaken up by whatever happened. You probably have a little anxiety about continuing on. But before you give up, consider this: is the path you are on the one you want to be on? If so, get right back on it. If the path isn’t the one you want, get off of this one and onto the one you want. Just get into motion and don’t let the explosion paralyze you. Get right back into the routine that worked for you before. Start back with the good self care, the meditation, the journaling, your exercise.
• Forgive yourself. So you made a mistake. Make the conscious effort to forgive yourself (or someone else if you are harboring anger). Simply by being willing to forgive, the process has begun.

I’m wishing you a safe and wonderful Fourth of July, my American friends! And Jody, thanks for the awesome party and hospitality!

Love and light to you!

 Each Friday, I post an affirmation for the upcoming week. Here was Fridays.