Times are hard. They are serious for a lot of people. It’s okay and important to acknowledge it.
But…
We do NOT live in unprecedented times.
History has shown us that there is always good happening in any situation, no matter how nightmarish and apocalyptic they seem.
Not everything we are seeing is what we are really able to see. Not everything is bad. There are so many things we take for granted. Places might be shut down but other things have the chance to open up, at last. It’s time to declutter and prioritize our lives and look back to how we did things.
We have the power to choose what to see and how to respond to it.
Five things to embrace and be grateful for in this time, and beyond.
1. Mother Nature is regenerating. My family and I live close to the pacific ocean and we witnessed the color change of the ocean. It’s looks tropical and paradisiac now. It is as if nature itself is taking a breath and is being revived. They say the ozone layer is the smallest since its discovery. Mother Nature is taking a break, too.
2. Intentional family time. Whoever has dealt with isolation (I have!)knows how essential quality time with people is. Now is the time to connect with friends and family, nearby and far. Have a game night, FaceTime your friends, and find creative ways to show your loved ones how much they mean to you. Life is not on hold. Dance, sing, laugh and create memories together like never before. Your children will remember.
3. Season for creatives. We are all creative beings. This season is for you to dig up creative content from inside of you. Let it be without pressure. Connecting with your creativity sparks life. Your investment in yourself will be rewarded, now and in the future. What gift can you give to the world during quarantine?
4. Time is your friend. You don’t have to commute, drive your kids to school, run from one meeting to the other, from one activity to the next. No hustle and bustle. No extensive consumption. Not this time. What do we do with what we’ve been given? Allow yourself to be still and be. Be present.
5. Compassion for one another. A natural reaction to this crisis can be to buy up all the stores and hoard everything. In most natural catastrophes people have chosen to support and stand in the gap for each other. Neighbors who once were strangers became friends. Why not show extraordinary generosity in times like these? We teach our children to share and now is the time for them to see us in action. Only by loving yourself you can love your neighbor. Don’t forget to show yourself some compassion, too. Stop and notice what triggers you and give yourself some nurture and support.
No matter how dark the night, there is always Light that no darkness can withstand. Light will always increase to the extent we focus on it.
The choice is ours.
We can either only see the darkness and be consumed by it or we choose to see and do good. It’s not something big and unrealistic.
Things will not get back to normal. They will be different. We will learn, grow and see things differently than before, better. Let it not be for nothing that we lost loved ones.
There is good in all of this. What do you choose to embrace today?
