In one way, life is full of limitations; and these days, these limitations have increased. With the ongoing crisis due to COVID, most of us have had to learn to cope with additional constraints—such as not seeing friends or family, not traveling, not going to the theatre or anywhere except to the grocery store. Some people have also lost their jobs, or their income has decreased.
When the situation we find ourselves in brings up intense emotions, we can’t just ignore them. We have to acknowledge them, feel them, let them express themselves. We need to grieve.
I find myself crying more often, even at small things, and sometimes laughing more at some things as well.
Our emotions are telling us that we need to take extra special care of ourselves, however we can.
It’s a time when perhaps our plans and goals are taking longer to manifest. Maybe it feels like things will always stay this way, that we’ll never be able to accomplish what gives our lives meaning.
But one thing I’ve realized is that even when I haven’t been able to move forward in the way I may have envisioned, I can still evolve spiritually. In fact, sometimes when we are thwarted in material ways, our inner growth or deepening can become even more powerful.
No effort is ever lost or wasted. It’s your intention that counts. And when the best you can do is persevere in even small ways, that’s enough. We have to adapt to the situation because resisting it brings more pain.
The truth is that we have infinite possibilities to manifest, but we can’t control the timing or how the manifestation will appear.
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are” is a quote attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the U.S.
Maybe all you can do is take care of yourself and your family, if you have one. And if you don’t, then be kind to yourself and remember that it’s your intention that counts. That intention could be as simple as wishing everyone well, wishing that everyone could be free of the suffering you are going through at the moment.
Take time to appreciate the ‘small things’ that are present in your life.
You may think about keeping a diary of moments when you were able to let go of your thoughts and plans, your frustrations and desires, your worries and concerns. Perhaps it was on a walk when the sky took on a golden hue, or when you noticed the fall leaves turning color and drifting to the ground, or when you saw a child playing or a dog chasing a ball.
Whatever you notice, write it down.
1. Keep a journal just for beautiful memories: written, drawn, photographed, moments of “epiphany.”
The seventeenth-century French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal said in difficult times you should always carry something beautiful in your mind; so this is a way of keeping a storehouse of beautiful memories.
2. Write your dreams every morning—or just the first thoughts on awakening, underlining meaningful words or ideas. Explore your inner world.
Accept whatever is happening, allow yourself to feel whatever arises, and remember that at your center is a spacious source of freedom.
“Acceptance looks like a passive state, but in reality, it brings something entirely new into this world. That peace, a subtle energy vibration, is consciousness.”
–Eckhart Tolle