If you don’t think there are lessons every step of the way in life, you are just kidding yourself. We are constantly shown new ways to grow and learn and become better – more of who we were meant to be. And let me tell you that there are some huge lessons here with the current Coronavirus experience for all of us, many of which I’m sure are yet to come.
The Lessons
First let’s touch on the fact that whether you see this or not, everything in life is teaching you, growing you, and helping to move you forward. I personally stop daily at different points in my day and ask myself, “what is this teaching me?” There is always an answer if you look for it. But if you breeze by it and on with your day, or get upset, or just get caught up in your head (insecurities, frustrations, etc.) – you miss it. And I guarantee that lesson will revisit you again until you get it. What if you don’t? Well, you’re really missing the boat to be honest. You aren’t giving yourself the chance to grow and be better, do better and have better in your life. And really, that’s the point of life.
So what is the Coronavirus teaching us? I’m definitely seeing some key areas where the lessons are already very clear to me. Though as I said, things are going to evolve and change, and so will the lessons. I should also note that these are really very general, and everyone will have completely different lessons with this experience, especially if they are really entrenched in it (healthcare workers or patients especially). But let’s talk about some big main ones that are likely affecting most people on some level.
Patience
The first area is patience, and let me tell you, this is an area I’ve been working on for a while now, so the lessons are very clear to me here – and also very in my face lately. I think we can all agree that staying at home and isolating is all fine and good, and we are all doing our part, but when will we start to get impatient with it? When will we all start to go a little batty at home, if you haven’t already? When will people start to crack watching spring roll into summer and potentially still be stuck at home? We are learning (and will continue to learn) huge lessons in patience here.
One of the things I have personally been working on lately is ‘staying in the flow’. In other words, not pushing, and trying to just follow my intuition when/where it guides me. Mind you, sometimes I get messed up when my mind takes over (and also my impatience) – but I’m working on learning the difference. But always, when I push – things don’t go as well – and the Universe pushes back. I get stopped in my tracks. I get a lesson in patience.
Let Go of Timelines
I think one of the main issues in our society is that we are so wrapped up in moving forward, or what’s next, or what we need to be doing all the time. What we really need to do is just appreciate what is – this moment in time. We need to be present. Be mindful. And fill ourselves up with calm, presence and awareness. If you observe people in our world (our normal world), not many people are present. Most are distracted, on their phone, thinking, talking, doing. We need to slow down more often. Listen to the sounds around us, appreciate our space, and just love and enjoy our life in that moment and find some calm.
So with the Coronavirus, I invite you to take a deep breath when you find yourself getting impatient and anxious about the timelines especially. Stop stressing about it all and find some peace in all this alone time. Work on staying in the flow – following your guidance and instincts – which works best when you are calm. Stop focusing on the time it’s taking away from you, and instead, find great ways to spend the time.
Make 2 Lists
I heard someone say the other day to make 2 lists. One list is the things you always say you never have time for – which you can do during this period of isolation (i.e. read a book, take a class online, learn yoga, start meditating). The other list you should start to keep is the things you long to do during this time of isolation – which you can do when it’s over. This feels like a wonderful way to spend your time and avoid impatience too. I love having things to do when I need to keep myself busy – and also things to look forward to.
Surrender
Surrender is one of my personal favorites. I’ve literally had psychics telling me for years that I need to work on my surrender – to the Universe that is – to the flow, as I mentioned above. It tends to be very challenging for most people. And there is SO MUCH we need to surrender with this Coronavirus, that it is a huge lesson in surrender for all of us. It’s also a lesson in faith for me for sure.
Big and Small Lessons
It really begins with the small things, like I can’t get my hair done, so my roots are going to be grey for a while. And the clinic isn’t open for botox injections, so guess what? I’m gonna have wrinkles for the weeks, and maybe months, to come. There just isn’t anything I can do about it, so I need to surrender to it. While not the end of the world, we have to let all those things go. Life goes on, right? But what about the bigger things? What about the uncertainty of things? When can we go back to ‘normal’ life? When will the danger pass? And when will we be able to be with the people we love?
The biggest surrender lessons here are letting go of control and complying with what needs to be done for the good of all. So in other words, giving up your normal life and staying home to help eliminate the virus. This alone is huge and painful to many. Having to spend so much time alone at home and not in your normal routines is a big lesson in letting go – and one that many people are struggling with. Here in the US, I see people who are not complying, or ignoring the warnings, and not surrendering to what is – and what they need to do.
Embrace the (Temporary) New
If we can just let go of the old way of life, and embrace the (temporary) new, and follow our own instincts on things – we can find safety and peace during this event. We can find calm even. But we have to surrender trying to control all of it and just trust in what we need to do, and that we will be fine. Actually, that we will be great. That life will be better at the other end of this tumultuous time.
Self-Care
The lesson of self-care is going to be in your face if it hasn’t been already. I know it has for me. In normal life, this is something a lot of people shrug off. Or many just misunderstand what it is. While a manicure can be self-care, it’s more about loving yourself, managing your worries and anxieties, and being compassionate with yourself in all the things you aren’t coping well with. Right now that’s normal. Everyone is going through so many emotions and if you aren’t skilled with dealing with that within yourself, you are certainly going to have to learn how to do it.
The biggest lesson here for many, whether you are living alone or with others, is that you can’t help anyone else until you take care of yourself first. You need to recognize when you are feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed and take some time to take care of yourself and get yourself to a better place. As you are no benefit to anyone else if you don’t do a bit of self-care first.
Ground Yourself
Mind you, there are still other ways of doing this right now that do involve people, but you need to make sure those people are already ‘full’. In other words, they have filled themselves up enough with self-care to give you a proper shoulder to lean on when you need it. Because if you are two currently empty people who are stressed and anxious, it will only magnify the issues. There is no one to properly ground that energy. That said, if you are grounding it for everyone else, you will soon find yourself depleted and at the other end of the spectrum, so make sure to take time to fill yourself up again.
Compassion
One of the huge lessons and most beautiful things we are seeing right now are the lessons in compassion. There are people everywhere doing amazingly compassionate things on large and small scales. I think the biggest lesson here is to do what you can where you are. If you see someone that needs help and you can safely help them, then do.
I think many people think they aren’t doing anything unless they are doing something huge though. Not true. Case in point, I was walking my dogs yesterday and feeling a bit stressed. A woman came out of her house as I walked by and said, “I just wanted to tell you that we have missed you all winter. We love seeing you and the dogs and chatting with you.” This small gesture made my day. I felt the stress of my worries melt away, and I walked away with a smile and a bounce in my step. This woman made me feel like I mattered to someone, and it took my mind off my stress – and that was huge in that moment for me. So don’t ever think that any gesture is too small, because it could change everything for someone.
Do What You Can Where You Are
I would invite you during these weeks and months that we are trapped at home to find the little things that you CAN do to help and show people you care. And don’t overlook the people right in front of your face, because you may not realize that they need it as much as anyone else. Whether that’s sending cards to show you care, texting and reminding people of how much they mean to you, saying a few kinds words to a stranger, sending someone some needed essentials, putting positive messages in your windows for passers-by, or sharing things that have helped you online with others. We are all doing our part, and it all makes a difference.
Let Yourself be Surprised, Delighted and Happy
Well this is unexpected, right? LOL. Seriously, we are so caught up in the seriousness of this all, but for me – there have been some wonderful moments too. We need to be open to allowing ourselves to be happy even in moments of intense trauma on our planet. Seriously, if you don’t, you truly might implode. If you need permission to be happy during this time, I am granting you that permission right now. Find as many happy moments as you can by all means.
Embrace the Positive
Whether you are happily surprised by a wonderful gesture as noted above from someone, or whether you just find something delightful in your own day/life – you need to embrace it, enjoy it, and celebrate it. I know some people get caught up in the “but people are dying” – and not to be crass, but it is all part of life. In other words, there is always good and bad. Don’t throw away the good and focus just on the bad. Find joy. Find it as often as humanly possible right now to keep your energy high. Look for it in the kindness of others, in the joy that helping brings you, in your relationships, in doing caring things for yourself, and in just having fun. Find the fun for goodness sakes!
There is a huge lesson here in staying positive, keeping your energy high, and guiding people out of the anxiety and worry. We aren’t going anywhere if we are all stuck in a dark place. I think we know that. We need people to be the light and to shine it brightly. For yourselves and so that others feel it and benefit from it. Lead people from the darkness whenever possible – and definitely shine a light for yourself.
The Lessons Ahead
This journey with the Coronavirus seems that it may drag out in some areas of the world, but there is much to be learned here in this moment, and much ahead of us on this path as well I’m sure. It’s already cracking us all open in big ways, making us feel raw, vulnerable, and even exposed. It has taken away our normal and comfortable, and thrown us into a state of self-reliance and isolation that is bringing up so many feelings that we have no idea what to do with sometimes. It is a veritable roller coaster of emotions.
Life Review
You may find yourself cleaning out your house, and also cleaning out your life – noticing old patterns, attachments, behaviors, beliefs or ways of living that just aren’t working for you anymore. There may be a new awareness of yourself and your life – a recalibration if you will – where you see the path more clearly now (or even a new path you never considered). This event will shake you down until everything falls out of your proverbial pockets and you get to choose what you pick back up and take with you, or leave behind.
So make sure you take the time to see the lessons in this event for you, and for the planet. Notice them, and decide how you will integrate them. What you will do, or change, or just be more aware of? Because it’s really a great opportunity that way that we should all embrace….while we wash our hands and stay at home of course. Stay safe everyone!
You may enjoy also reading Coronavirus Anxiety and How to Cope and Opening to the Awakening
You might find this Lee Harris April Energy Update helpful.
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