Covid getting you down, and life’s on hold?
Yeah.
And knowing you’re not alone helps, but only so much.
Because, suddenly, from the perfect freedom of enjoying the company of people who bring us joy, travelling to places we want to discover, sharing food with people we love… life in 2020 has become a little bit of a horror story, a charade of fear, doubt, and more fear. We take things with as much philosophy as we could possibly muster, as plans are frozen in mid-speech. Out there, jobs and lives are being snatched away. What little certainty of anything… well. It’s enough that we still have anything at all, and we are grateful.
But - and I have to constantly remind myself - why give space to loneliness, when the choice is, in fact, ours? I have the right to refuse such a weakness, and I must. WE MUST.
It’s true, the wonderful magic that happens when we find ourselves in the good company of other people isn’t to recreate at home, alone, but we forget that we have resources at our disposal. Beautifully rich human resources. Between the genius of the internet and the genius of our human intelligence, anything is possible! What better occasion than now, while the world holds its breath to see what will become of our lives in the long run, to get to know OURSELVES better? Sounds like work, and it is. And, I’m not simply talking about just noticing all the internal talk that we often fall into, the guilt, shame, perhaps boosted by some dose of unhealthy comparison with other people, and all that ‘‘good stuff’’. I’m talking about SLAYING THESE UGLY DEMONS, and having a constant practice at it. I’m talking about taking the violin in hand, bow in the other (hopefully in the left, then right, in chronological order), and putting our daily worries aside, and enjoying the peace of mind that CONCENTRATING FULLY ON ONE THING AT A TIME truly gives us. BECAUSE, WORKING ON EXTERNAL SHORTCOMINGS GIVES US THE ABILITY TO FINALLY FACE OUR INTERNAL ONES. It is big, and it is scary, but this, I have found, is a real gift in these strange times. Something that I have not found anywhere else. And the wonderful advantage? We treat our minds and bodies to a veritable sound bath that, on some physical level, is way superior to simply turning on some music and listening to it. If there are any psychologists out there reading this, I wouldn’t mind your two cents’!
Because, otherwise, what fills the empty, unaccounted spaces in your day when you’re not busy with work, or school? The passive, eye-straining, neck-stiffening, empty consumption of photos and videos from wherever, and whenever? How much more of that are you going to tolerate? Is this really sustainable for you, your life? As a no-longer compulsive scroller myself, I can only say that it’s a relief to be rid of that. And the brain-space that comes with reconnecting myself with the intended purpose of my day and attention span is simply… priceless! Not to say I have to shy away from social media - not at all! The little time I do wander over these social platforms, I thoroughly enjoy it! So, safe to say, WIN-WIN.
And, now that we’re here, why not start with the basics?
How about just taking a deep breath, looking out the window, and thanking life for being the big, beautiful challenge that it is, and then taking stock of what we DO have to be grateful for?
Thanking you for letting me accompany you on your journey,
XO
Cheryl
