Don't Let Fear Pick For You

Easter weekend is meant to be a time of peace, family, and renewal. Yet this year, many Canadians are feeling an unusual kind of pressure, as advance voting falls on Good Friday. Long lines across the country reveal a troubling paradox: we’re being asked to make important decisions while in a stressed state—called to action during a time traditionally meant for stillness.

This episode isn’t about politics, parties, or platforms.
 It’s about your nervous system.
 It’s about reclaiming your ability to choose from presence, not fear.

When anxiety runs high—whether from inflation, global unrest, or uncertainty—it’s tempting to vote quickly. To latch onto whoever sounds strongest. To seek the person who promises to extinguish the nearest fire.

But there’s a profound difference between voting from clarity and voting from panic.

Discernment isn’t about distrust.
 It’s about slowing down long enough to ask:

• Why did that message hit so hard?
• What’s behind the polish?
• What’s my body feeling right now?

Because even the most well-intentioned leaders get shaped by the system they enter.
 That’s not cynicism—it’s reality.

Before you let a headline or scroll-session decide for you, take a breath.
 Not everything demands urgency.
 Ask yourself:
 What kind of Canada do I want to wake up in?
 What does stability look like for me and my family?

There may not be perfect candidates.
 But there is a more grounded version of you.
 And your vote matters most when it’s made from that place.

Let your nervous system lead—not the chaos of the world.

Chapters

• 0:00 Easter Weekend's Political Pressure
• 1:03 Voting from Clarity vs. Panic
• 3:03 Discernment in Political Choices
• 5:14 Mindful Breathing Exercise
• 7:26 Final Thoughts on Thoughtful Choices

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

I just want to come on here and speak to something that I think a lot of us are feeling right now. It's Easter weekend, and yet how many of us in the city or in Canada are actually able to slow down and rest? This weekend is often about peace, reflection, family and a sense of renewal, but this year it feels like pressure is sitting in the air, tension in our conversation, heaviness in our nervous system and politics swirling around everything. Advance voting is happening on Good Friday, easter weekend. The lines are long, not just here in Ottawa. All across the country, people are showing up and while that's encouraging that we are paying attention, it's also exposing something deeper we're being asked to make decisions while in a state of stress, we're being called to action in a time that's supposed to support stillness. So this isn't a political episode. It's not about parties or platforms or who you should vote. This is a nervous system episode. It's an invitation to pause before you vote, to breathe before you react and to reclaim your choice from fear. Your choice from fear.

Speaker 1: 1:27

Welcome to the Lift One Self podcast. I'm your host, nat Nat, and this is a space where we return to ourselves, our power and our presence. If this is your first time here, welcome home. Today, I want to offer a breath, a moment of honesty, a reminder that your clarity matters, not because you have to agree with anyone, but because you deserve to choose from a grounded place, not a fearful one.

Speaker 1: 1:55

Politics often bring out the most reactive parts of us. I tend to call it politics, and right now, with everything that's happening from inflation to global unrest, to the US elections looming in the background, fear is running high. Let's not mention these playoffs and our Canadian team showing up. That's some excitement that we need. Yet, coming back to the state of this election, it's tempting to vote quickly, to latch on to whoever sounds strongest, to look for the person who might put out the fire where we're standing in. But the deeper question is are we voting from clarity or from panic? And I say this with so much love and no judgment, because I feel it too. I've caught myself going wait, who? What's happening? What does this mean? It's like a mental fog comes in and everything starts feeling urgent. That's what fear does. It overwhelms your system and narrows your thinking. It disconnects you from reflection and from choice, and when fear takes the wheel, we tend to react instead of discern.

Speaker 1: 3:11

Discernment is what I want to speak into today, because discernment is not just about being smart or skeptical. It's about pausing long enough to see what's really going on, both around you and within you. That might look like asking yourself why a candidate's message hit you so hard, looking beyond the slogans to their full record, noticing when your body feels pressured to choose quickly, and realizing that politicians, like all of us, wear masks. Some are polished, some are rehearsed, some might have even started with good intentions, but this system, it's a beast, and many who entered it with idealism come out shaped by its weight. So, before you let a headline or social media post sway you, I invite you to pause.

Speaker 1: 4:09

Not everything requires a snap decision. In this moment especially, ask for more reflection, not less, because hindsight is 20-20. We've seen in other countries 2020. We've seen in other countries. We've seen people say that won't happen here until it does, and we've seen the cost of choosing from fear rather than discernment. So I'll ask you gently what kind of Canada do you want to live in? What kind of stability do you want for yourself, your family, your community? You don't need to find the perfect candidate. There might not be one, but you can still choose from a place that feels aligned with your values, not just your fears, and maybe that starts by stepping away from the noise for a moment and grounding back into yourself. Possibly even you know it's Easter weekend. Go play, it's needed. We need more playful people in this world.

Speaker 1: 5:14

So let's take a moment right now, a mindful moment. Let's get comfortable in our seating and, if it's safe to do so, gently close your eyes or simply soften your gaze and feel your body supported beneath you. Feel your breath. Don't force it, just notice it. Notice that you're here, you are not behind, you are not too late. Place one hand on your chest, one on your belly, if that feels okay. Let your body feel supported. Take a slow inhale through your nose, hold it gently, exhale through your mouth, even let out a sigh if you need to. Again inhale and let it go. Feel the difference between urgency and clarity, between being pressured and being present.

Speaker 1: 6:41

Your choice, your choice matters it. So does your state when you choose. This world might feel shaky, but your nervous system doesn't have to match that rhythm. You. You can come back to your own pace and from that pace choose. Take another deep breath in and let it out Now, at your own time and your own pace, you're going to gently open your eyes while staying with your breath.

Speaker 1: 7:26

Thank you for being here with me. I'm not here to tell you what to think. I'm just here to remind you that how you think, how you choose, matters, and that you don't have to rush your power away just because the world is loud. Take your time, do your research, ask your questions and trust that discernment lives in you, even if things feel unclear right now. If this brought you even a small breath of calm or clarity, brought you even a small breath of calm or clarity I hope you'll share it with someone else who needs that too, and no matter what this week looks like for you whether you're voting, resting, playing, eating or just trying to make sense of all of it be kind to yourself. See you next time.