The first time I saw the words “Keep Calm & Carry On” with an image of a crown imprinted on a t-shirt, I thought, “What a sweet slogan.” And of course, I loved the crown.
Later I learned that the phrase was created by the British government in 1939 to raise the morale of its citizens in preparation for anticipated bombings in World War II. The British people responded to the call to go about business as usual (as much as they could), stayed calm, worked together, and prevailed.
It can sometimes feel like we are fighting a war of our own—to remain present and peaceful in our being, to be helpful to others, and to protect our sacred selves from the constant barrage of abhorrent news around us. Keep calm and carry on can feel like a challenge.
Here are three steps that help us feel peace-filled and support us to live as our highest and best selves—which does transform our entire world. I’ve taught these effective steps to coaching clients over the years and most recently shared them in a talk I gave—and practice them myself.
- Live with neutral awareness
- Take inspired action
- Lead with heart
Instead of judging and having opinions on everything under the sun (what causes us to feel like we need to?), practicing neutral awareness allows us to gently observe instead. This frees our energy.
Taking inspired action, rather than simply reacting to situations without inner guidance, gives us a sense of inner calm and empowerment.
Leading with heart in all ways, starting by loving ourselves, blesses us and everyone around us—and raises our energy to higher levels. Our relationships are elevated.
Let us keep calm, carry on, and know that we are transforming the world, because with our moment-by-moment choices, we are.