Thursday, March 19, 2020

Staying Positive, And Taking Time To Laugh

One of the most valuable things I've learned from my own life is that when I can't control something, the only other alternative is to embrace it and look for the gemstones.

And by that I mean, looking for the wealth within each and every experience.

At first the wealth might not be visible to me, but eventually I do find it.

In the past I've shared several posts about the power that comes from embracing challenging experiences. And I truly believe that. And not simply because it just sounds good. I believe that because I have lived it. I've embraced some pretty scary and challenging things that have come my way because I had no other choice. But in doing so, I discovered the value.

I am not going to talk about all the panic, fear, and inconvenience that's going on not only here in the USA, but all over the world, because there are enough people talking about that. What I'm going to share here today is how I'm staying positive.

Let me start by saying that I am far from naive to what's going on at the moment. Nor am I in denial. What I am saying, though, is that I have a choice in how I perceive it and how I experience it.

Contrary to most of America, I'm not self-isolating in my apartment day and night, avoiding the rest of the population. I'm definitely abiding by all public health precautions, absolutely, but I am not freaking out or paranoid about being outdoors or indoors with other people.

I'm also not watching the news 24/7. I spend about 30 minutes in the morning watching the news, and another 30 mins at night. But that's it. There is a difference between staying informed, and knowing when to pull yourself away from all the drama perpetuated by the media. I definitely want to know what's going on, yes, however I'm not interested in the dramatic embellishments that you can so blatantly hear behind the voice of every single news anchor.

What we're experiencing right now in the world, I am choosing to use as a means to see beyond what is happening. I'm trying to see what this is revealing to me and how I can best serve. Because quite frankly, that's all I have the power to do. I have no control over this virus, or know its full truth.

No one does.

So, I have a choice. I can't either choose to partake in all the panic and fear of the unknown, or I can choose to stay aware, but detach myself from the doom and gloom vibes.

And that's exactly what I'm doing.

You see, in a situation such as this, I always ask myself the question, "What does panic and fear contribute to not only my own experience, but to the experience of others?"

And the answer is always, "Nothing."

I also find that when I detach myself from the drama, I have more energy and clarity to see how I can make the best of any situation.

I would like to share with you some of the things I've been noticing through this experience, which I think is a wake-up call on so many different levels:

- I've witnessed acts of compassion, kindness, and hope.
- I've witnessed much more face-to-face communication between people.
- I've noticed more consciousness.
- I've noticed a softening of the human heart.
- I've noticed people saying "Please" and "Thank you" to each other.

And those things are very much the same things I've noticed within myself.

I'm actually smiling more at people on the streets, nodding my head, waving, and saying hello. And in turn, those people are responding in the same way.

I feel a deep softening within my heart.

I've always been a positive person, yet I feel even more positive at this time.

I feel more creative.

I feel more adaptable.

I feel more grateful.

I feel more courageous of the unknown.

I know this may sound extremely odd, but I feel stronger and more connected because this experience is causing me to feel as though I want to move closer to people, not farther away.

During this time, I am spending part of my days outdoors, sitting in our parks enjoying the fresh air and sunlight. I find that being within nature is a great "grounding" source.

Another thing I've been doing is watching a lot of movies that are either funny or uplifting, just to keep my mind and my heart light.

Music too. I've been listening to either inspirational music, or music that makes me want to get up and dance around my apartment. The other day I was shopping in Trader Joe's listening to music on my phone with my earbuds and suddenly caught myself dancing in the produce section. One of the employees spotted me and began laughing. She said, "Thanks...I needed that!"

Yes, it is at times like this that I have to be very mindful of what I expose myself to because I need to remain open and clear.

Again, I am in no way naive or in denial of what's going on in the world. But for me, I can't simply look at what's happening and see it only as something to be afraid of.

No way.

There are gemstones within this virus.

Many of them.

And that's what I choose to focus on.

💗 to you all!

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I would like to conclude this post with a video clip that I'm sure many of you have already seen. Gosh, I can't believe I made this back in 2012!

Last week when I watched it again after so many years, it made me laugh.

I hope it does the same for you.

And ironically, I think the title of this song is so fitting for what's going on in the world right now: "I Will Survive."

Because we will survive...

*for those of you who subscribe to my posts via email, here is the link to the video: click here.