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Good morning, Thursday evening’s bombings in Afghanistan, have intensified the desperation that many are feeling and have added to the already heavy burden of global anxiety that we’ve all been part of over the last 18 months. Fear is so overwhelming it skews our perceptions and suffocates our ability to make good decisions- but the tide can be turned. On a daily basis in my work as a psychiatrist, I see how even the slightest shifts in our attitudes can have a profound impact on our circumstances and the people around us. Positive thoughts, feelings and actions are enabling and protective. For Hindus around the world, this weekend marks the birth of Lord Krishna known as the festival of Janmashtami. Some may question, How can we think to celebrate when there is so much pain and suffering in the world? But celebrations of this nature aren’t about self- indulgence, they serve to increase the very things that make fear run away; joy, compassion and service. Krishna means “All Attractive” and as the embodiment of unconditional love, he is celebrated and adored for his cheeky antics as a young child just as much as for the wisdom he shares when he speaks the Bhagavad Gita in the middle of a battlefield. Said to have been born at midnight with a bluish monsoon cloud like complexion, he taught the transformative power of living in love with others throughout his entire time on earth. Stories of his life show how he captivated many by adapting and responding to the needs of everyone he encountered. By some he’s experienced as a mischievous, fun loving boy, others are drawn to him as a handsome young man and others see him as a wise and chivalrous protector. So it’s all hands on deck for millions of Krishna’s followers, for many weeks in preparation for the party of the year. And when we come together like this, celebrating unconditional love, the things that give meaning to our lives, putting aside our various social designations and our daily grind, we create a tsunami of positive energy more contagious than the mass hysteria at a rock concert and more powerful than the unfathomable wickedness that we’ve seen all too vividly once again. Testimony to the indestructible nature of the human spirit and a reminder that religious festivals are more than a social event and can have an impact that goes beyond the space and time in which they take place. So as we all go about doing the best we can with what we have, don’t forget to celebrate and give yourself permission to connect with your potential for happiness - it’s a powerful antidote to the pain and suffering that is so present in the world and protects us from the debilitating effects of fear.