4/11/2020

I found myself reflecting on the fact that we have been in isolation for less than a month, and sometimes it feels like forever. And I thought that we have more than a month to go, and I felt a little bleak at that thought. And when I encountered the bleakness, I found myself trying to push it away. I didn't want the bleakness to get in the way of stoking my joy. But the fact is, we are in a bleak situation, and those feelings are perfectly normal and to be expected. I'm not doing myself any favors by trying to ignore or avoid them. I almost felt like I should have this whole quarantine thing down, you know? It's a great opportunity for a deep dive, and I have been taking advantage of that. And the deep dive does not mean that it will all be bliss. There's some sludge down deep in there! And having feelings of bleakness, and sadness, and loss is perfectly normal and to be expected during these unprecedented times. So the question becomes, what do you do with those feelings? Acknowledge them. Sit with them. They will dissipate, and other feelings will come. And they will dissipate faster once you look at them. You've had that experience before, right? It will work, and it may not be comfortable at first. That's OK. We can do this.

I received an article in my inbox yesterday that resonated with me on so many levels. It's called "3 Tough Things We Need to Do to Be Happy in Tough Times". Check it out here. It's from a mailing list I belong to called Marc and Angel hack life. I get a lot out of what they have to say. Some of the lines in the article really spoke to me. 

"These are the times we’re always preparing for, in a way, when we pray, meditate, self-reflect, and generally invest in our personal growth during the good times." We are all well prepared to deal with this pandemic, precisely because of the work we do together in class. This is exactly what we've been preparing for, without even realizing it. That's pretty reassuring, isn't it?

 "You are just one brief thought away from understanding the blessing that is your life." Need I say more? 

"Remind yourself that happiness is a mindset that can only be designed into the present." Not in the future, and not in the past. Right here, and right now. How will you design your happiness today?

So today, I will gratefully acknowledge all the feelings that come up. I will sit with them and honor them and let them pass. Because when they pass, I'm left with the truth that happiness is created on the inside, and it comes from the joy that we are, and that is ever present within us. Acknowledging the unpleasant and uncomfortable feelings is a part of stoking our joy. They are not mutually exclusive. They are intertwined within us, and ultimately, are all a reflection of Consciousness.