Between what I dreamed and what is possible

I remember, until recently, the world seemed a place with some stability to me. I could think of what I wanted to do in the future, plan travel, lifestyle, plans in general. Today, the world is different. Politics has changed, the economy has changed, the climate of the world has changed. The feeling I have is that everything can “crumble” at any time.

I write this and I think much of this feeling may have come from the pandemic period, when, within a few days, our lives have changed and we lived a completely different routine, marked by uncertainties. Last year we also faced the flood here in Rio Grande do Sul - once again, overnight, cities were devastated by the waters.

Given these facts, how do you not be afraid of what can happen? How not to be afraid of the choices I need to do today, but can reverberate up front?

I had the dream of living outside Brazil in a few years. Currently, I realize that fear has made me give up on this plan. I don't know what can happen about climatic disasters or even "political disasters." Right now, I notice that the most important thing for me is to be in my land, in my house. This gives me a greater sense of security.

I also realize that fear has led me to make more conservative decisions. I think about purchasing a property, but is it worth making a financing? What if there is another pandemic? Will I be able to pay? Where would I not risk flooding?

I could go along the way of self-enry, but I prefer to ask myself how these issues-which beaten our control-are influencing our thoughts, feelings and actions.

Who I want to be in this uncertain world, even though I am afraid, since I cannot change the scenario in which we live? To answer these questions, I need to observe my internal world, observe the external world, connect with my values and radically accept what is not in my control. These are skills that acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) develops and that help us have more psychological flexibility in the face of life's adversities.

This text is by the Cefi Contextus -Viviane Grafitti

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