July 2020
“As we all return to normal…” “In these unprecedented times…” Is anyone else sick of hearing these phrases yet?!!
When I hear the phrase “unprecedented times” I feel like I’m a kid, sticking my fingers in my ears, going, “la la la I can’t hear you” It just feels like an icky media word to me.
“Stay home, save lives…” “Now go to work, stay alert…”
Why do I feel like a lot of the information is fearful, and alarmist and puts us into a state of stress? We are all very aware of what’s happening and yes, there needs to be guidance. I’m not about to comment or contradict what the governments, or WHO (World Health Organisation) are saying. This is, and has, been a very real and tragic threat to our lives. We have all made sacrifices, some of us lost jobs, and thousands of lives have been lost. For them, and all of us who are collectively suffering, I hear you, I have felt it too.
My own experiences are still ‘too tender to touch’ for now.
I see the injustice, the pain and discomfort of the race conversation. I am listening, asking questions and I am learning. We are all united in our path of kindness, it would be naive to think we are separate beings at this point. We are all one race, one planet, one world, within an infinite universe. There is comfort in knowing we are a collective, I for one take great comfort in that fact. We collectively feel pain, we have collectively suffered, and we too, can collectively make a change. This is a huge subject and not one I easily move on from, but it needs to be discussed, brought out in the open, and we need to learn and grow, together.
We have had to find a balance between being positive and patient, and the next moment wondering what the heck we should be doing and having a wobble or several, along the way. I have felt the immense serenity of nature, wrapping her arms around me. I have felt the fear of being in public and the vulnerable feelings that brings up. There is always a risk to everything we do, there are always questions to answer, facts to collect, and decisions to be made.
My inner voice says, “breathe, do not rush.”
So, whilst I heed advice, I also encourage you to turn within. Ask yourself the questions you want answers to, do not just rely on others to tell you the next turn.
When I hear the phrase “return to normal” this, to me, is a cue to pause and think.
Remember that whatever news is out there, papers you read (happy to say I’ve never bought one in my life) , whatever media you follow, just remember what you are watching matters to your emotional state, what you surround yourself with will have an impact. If you are someone who wants to watch the news, do so, no judgment, but do so selectively. Try not to overwhelm yourself with information. Just like our computers, we too need to breathe and reboot. And don’t forget, a lot of what you see, read, hear is an ‘opinion.’ Gather information by all means, but then use your own intuition, your own ‘knowing.’
Think about the phrase and delve deeper.
When you hear, “return to normal;"
- Stop – Think to yourself, what was my normal?
- Assess – Was I happy with my normal?
- Question – Do I want to return to it?
- Question further - What parts of my life do I miss? What can’t I wait to get back to? What lifts me up and makes me smile?
- Listen- To your inner voice, your inner Guru, what is it telling you?
- Feel – Close your eyes and meditate, go for a run to clear your mind, walk to release those endorphins, sing and dance, write, whatever it takes to get you in the flow and feeling good.
- Remember-It is far easier to make decisions from a place of ease and flow, than a place of fear and stress.
- Take it steady- Take this at your own pace.
- Make your own decisions and use your own mind – Obviously we need to follow the law and there are some constraints to adhere to, for safety sake, but other decisions like, I think I’ll cut down from five days to four to spend a day with my partner, the kids, the dog, or alone, maybe attainable. May be having worked from home successfully you are able to continue this in some capacity, cut down your daily commute, gain back time, money and your happiness.
- If- During this period, you have decided that you no longer want to be an astronaut, you realise that being a singer is your main passion and drive then it’s going to take a while to move from one to the other. Or you could combine both, like Chris Hadfield?!
- That doesn’t mean you can’t start making plans! You can assess, learn, and listen to that inner drive.
- Less dramatic, but just as wonderful, you may have found that you love growing your own veg and wish to incorporate that into your life now. This may be as simple as going to the allotment you started during our time for a pause. Or starting a herb garden on your windowsill.
- Priorities can change, passions can shift, we are evolving souls who change, adapt and develop. Do not think or feel that you have to go back to the way you were, if that means compromising on your time spent on you, with the kids, or doing whatever lights you up!
- Really, this is such a good time to re-evaluate, well, pretty much everything …
- Be brave, be strong, be kind, always.
And so it is, Karen x