The theme of the week is balancing all aspects of your life. Work vs play. The irony is we are all being mandated to stay home, but most everyone I know is working as hard as ever. Especially the feminine. Balancing being a mom, home schooling, working and keeping a house together with everyone home 24/7 and then where is the me time. It reminds me of the saying, “Wherever you go there you are.” Whether society is shut down or not, do you prioritize time for yourself? Do you give yourself time for a bath, or to meditate, or get exercise. In a society that teaches you “if you’re not accomplishing something, your value is null” you tend not to prioritize yourself.
What’s available now is the opportunity to find some blessings and opportunities you might not otherwise find. What can you be grateful for? Are you able to sleep in? Are you able to spend more time with your kids? Are you able to write that book you always wanted to write? What is God/The Universe gifting you in this situation. It’s a practice and a developed skill to see the opportunity in every challenge. It takes the severity out of the challenge and helps you step into a more empowering mentality. Gratitude practice, is a tool for every person’s tool box. When practiced regularly and daily, it helps reprogram your brain. You go from searching for the positive in situations, to actively seeing them and believing them without trying. Plenty of cliché’s come to mind now, “making lemonade from life’s lemons” (I typed lessons, and I think that’s one heck of a mind burp)
The time is ripe for creation. For creativity. For connectivity (yes, even that)… Connecting with people, with greater time allowance for it. Connecting with flow, with making that painting, or writing that book, or making those products you always wanted to make. For connecting with yourself, your heart, your wants and desires with extra time for meditation and journaling. I can hear some voices saying, “I’m too busy”. And I ask, what are you prioritizing? I also am hearing the quote “before enlightenment chop wood and carry water, after enlightenment chop wood and carry water”.
In every situation, we have control over one thing, and that’s our attitudes. Are you being present in each moment? Are you finding the gift in each moment? Are you taking advantage of this time?
Right now, the world needs a lot of support. People are facing their own mortality, family members and friends are getting sick, friends and family have no work and are worried about finances, the news is making everyone sick with fear and anxiety, and soon people may be processing through grief. What might you have to offer another? I heard of one family member organizing car scavenger hunts for families to do together (offering connectivity, memories and fun), one person I know is recording daily meditations for people to use, another video distance yoga, one teenager has organized a food drive for hungry kids. Is there some talent or offering you have, that you can offer, to help people be healthy and calm, and get through this challenge? The world is saying, “come out, unify, work together, show yourself to others and help, however you can.
This week, be kind to yourself, remember every cloud has a silver lining, and just know you’re doing the best you can. See if you can get creative and help others. One thing I learned is when you’re helping others, your own problems don’t seem so bad and you feel better about yourself. We have an opportunity this week to be of service.
