By Sara Fabian | Tiny Buddha
“What is to give light must endure the burning.” ~Viktor Frankl
The world is facing challenging times of crisis. Closed borders and travel bans, quarantine, shortage of food supply, scary news, and much fear. Viruses don’t care about our status, money, or fame, spreading from state officials to famous actors.
Being a human right now is not easy. My thoughts are with those who lost a family member or a friend. I can’t imagine the pain of those battling mental or emotional illnesses during dramatic life changes. Some are struggling to put food on the table. Some lost their jobs. Some are alone and afraid.
During turbulent times of stress, I feel worried, sad, and confused. Meanwhile, I show up every single day and do the best I can to help myself, my loved ones, and my community.
I keep myself informed from reliable sources and stay away from negativity and drama. With all the toxic news imparted to us over TV and social media channels, it takes some inner work to keep ourselves balanced and calm.
I know there are many things far beyond my control: earthquakes, tsunamis, the rain, the sunset, the stock market, political changes, economies that are going to collapse, this pandemic included.
But there’s one thing I can surely self-manage, and that is my inner world: my actions, my thoughts, my emotions. The way I respond to whatever happens outside my inner space is totally up to me.
There is much power in hope and faith. A positive mindset helps to boost our immune system with serotonin, the feel-good hormone. Feeling good keeps us healthy!
I choose to believe we live in an intelligent universe where everything happens for us, not to us. There’s no breakthrough without a breakdown. I think we are all here, students at the School of Life, to learn from our experiences and get more resilient, wiser, and stronger.
I’ve been asking myself this question:
What’s the message life is trying to give us? What’s the blessing in disguise, the gain in pain?
Here are five positive lessons I have learned so far from this global crisis:
1. We have a lot to appreciate.
“Your ancestors were called to war. You are called to stay on your couch. You can do this.” That’s what my Facebook newsfeed reminded me the other day.
Oh, boy! That really helped to put things into perspective.
A big thank you to the medical staff all around the world, those doctors, nurses taking care of the sick, facing sleep deprivation, while most of us are currently stuck in the comfort of our homes.
A big thank you to all the workers in the grocery stores or doing online deliveries these days. I see you, and I do appreciate what you do.
Because of this virus crisis, my family had to postpone our vacation—another wake-up call. There are so many things I’ve been taking for granted! Good health. The water and food supply. The internet and cable. The car. The shelter. The nice parties with my friends. The coffee shop. The gym subscription. The beauty salon. The freedom of traveling and seeing the world. And so much more! For all this, I am truly thankful.
2. Everything is easier when we stay grounded in the now.
Life doesn’t always go as planned; it can be very unpredictable. With so much confusion and uncertainty, staying grounded can be a challenge. Especially for people like me, who’ve lived decades trying to have full control over everyone and everything—how people acted or felt, how my future was going to look, and so on.
A panicked mind can’t see and think clearly, and fear sells well.
To be mindful is to realize our mind is full. So what is it currently full of?
Here are some of my worries since this pandemic took off:
What if we end up with no food? How am I going to feed my baby?
What if my mother (who works in a hospital) gets sick?
What if our savings get ruined?
Such concerns are human. But we can always choose which kind of thoughts we allow into our minds.
Whenever I find myself tormented by “what if” questions, I check the sanity of my thoughts. I ask myself: Is that true? How is this thought helping me right now? How would my life be if I let go of this thought?
Such questions help me realize everything in the future is an illusion, a possibility, and my worries are not real. Whatever I might be fearing, I am not there yet.
I need to learn how to trust the flow of life and surrender when the only reality is time will tell.
3. Life isn’t just about doing; it’s also about being.
Today’s modern society has transformed many of us into doers, performers, and over-achievers. Since an early age, we’ve been conditioned to value ourselves through how well we do things in life. Most of us were raised to deliver results, always running somewhere, always busy.
Most of us need a job, and money is a much-needed instrument for us to survive. But is our existence supposed to be all about our jobs? What if the ultimate purpose of us being here was just to be happy? No matter how, if through the work we do or not?
Today I am a coach, in the same way I am a wife, a daughter, a sister, or someone’s friend. I wearing many hats, and so do you.
Most of us are currently getting the gift of time. And what a golden asset that is, as it means life and it’s never coming back!
