A few minutes browsing Facebook confirms that fact - from a myriad of tragic happenings worldwide, to those right here at home.
An unfortunate side effect to all this trauma and angst is the apparent lack of patience and understanding with each other. After you get done reading all the stories of tragedy, sickness and loss - then you get to the cranky comments thrown at each other. I wrote about that in this newsletter.

At any rate, I think author Judith Orloff has the right idea concerning this phenomenon of global angst and crankiness: 

"Emotional freedom means learning how to stay centered in a stressful, highly emotionally charged world. Since emotions such as fear, anger, and frustration are energies, you can potentially "catch" them from people without realizing it.

If you tend to be an emotional sponge, it's vital to know how to avoid taking on an individual's negative emotions or the free-floating kind in crowds. Another twist is that chronic anxiety, depression, or stress can turn you into an emotional sponge by wearing down your defenses. Suddenly, you become hyper-attuned to others, especially those with similar pain. That's how empathy works; we zero in on hot-button issues that are unresolved in ourselves. From an energetic standpoint, negative emotions can originate from several sources. What you're feeling may be your own; it may be someone else's; or it may be a combination." 

Read the rest of this article here. Dr Orloff is Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA an intuition expert, and bestselling author. Her website is here and she's got a youtube channel here. 

Shown here is one of my favorite reminders that we are all in this together. But it's also a reminder to resist taking on the problems that aren't mine. And especially to be compassionate for those angry, upset folks who, like Dr Orloff talks about above, are not only dealing with their own challenges, but are attracting and experiencing more of the same from others. It's a hard trap to get out of.

These inspirational jewelry pieces are inexpensive - a perfect little pick-me-up for a friend who needs encouragement - even if that friend is yourSELF! The pink stretch bracelet is lightweight and comfy with it's sweet little pony girl charm. The stamped charm necklace is rather bold and chunky. The chain is a little longer (and adjustable) so you can wear it outside a sweater or with a shorter necklace if desired. The charms are removable, too, so if you have a day that you just need COURAGE, or STRENGTH - you have that option. To see all the inspirational jewelry, click here