Isn’t it weird how the pandemic has changed the way we all do things now? Yesterday, I was standing in a socially distanced line outside a HomeSense. Gazing through the window, I found myself appreciating the privilege of going into a store. An experience I once took for granted has now become something much more precious.
Most of the shoppers were wearing masks. Everyone sanitised their hands at the door as they entered. A recording came on the PA system every ten minutes or so, reminding us to maintain a 6 foot distance from one other at all times. No doubt about it. It’s a very new kind of “normal”.
Twenty minutes later, I was standing in another socially distanced line at the check-out clutching a king sized pillow. The man in front of me had two giant round mirrors in his cart. We stood. And stood. And then the greatest thing happened. We both looked up at each other and locked eyes at exactly the same moment as if to say – in the nicest possible way – “Isn’t this surreal?”
Our mouths were covered by our masks, and I was glad they were. Our eyes were steering the conversation now. It felt kind of … well… sacred, you know?
Maybe one of the lessons we’re meant to learn from this global pandemic is that trueconnection with another human being doesn’t come from talking to them; it comes from looking into their eyes and feeling the connection. Really feeling it.
Imagine how different the world would be if we did this all the time. Pandemic or no pandemic.
If you’re anything like me, self-isolation has you doing twice as much at home as you ordinarily would… because – hey, let’s face it – other than the grocery store, there’s really nowhere else to go right now. You’ve probably cleaned, baked, crafted, exercised, worked from home, attended Zoom meetings and watched webinars until you have no choice but to collapse in a heap on the living room sofa at night.
And that’s where the trouble begins. As the clock ticks on, you’re too tired to get up, do the right thing and go to bed. Instead, you start listening to Spotify or watching the latest release on Netflix. Before you know it, it’s 11:30 or midnight, and you’ve done it again. You’ve broken your sleep curfew.
In a bold move to clean up my act, I recently decided that my sleep curfew would be 9:30. You guessed it; I didn’t make it into bed by 9:30 once last week.
Enter Dr. Seuss. You heard me. He actually wrote a book called Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Bookway back in 1962. I have a copy on my living room book shelf. As only he could, Seuss introduces us to all of the creatures in the world who are falling asleep: “Do you know who’s asleep out in Foona-Lagoona… ? Two very nice Foona-Lagoona Baboona.”
Dr. Seuss’s advice? Join the Biffer-Baum Birds, of course, and say: “I feel rather drowsy. I’ve had quite a day.”
Simple, effective, short and sweet. Sounds like a self-isolation mantra to me. 😀
People around the world are calling it “the pandemic pause”. As a friend of mine suggested back in March, Mother Earth has sent us to our rooms so that we can stay there for awhile and think about what we’ve done.
That’s how it felt to me at first: a time of deep reflection about the state of the world, what’s gotten us here and what needs to happen in order for both the Earth and our selves to heal.
But the more I began to embrace self-isolation, the more I began to see it from a different point of view. Virus aside, (and I know that’s a big aside), it wasn’t a punishment at all. It was a present, tied with a big red bow. When I opened the box, I pulled out a permission slip; the kind we used to get in school when we were late for class. Two words stared back at me: Just be.
Imagine needing permission to just be; permission to slow down and listen to the birds outside our window; permission to let our bodies rest when they need it; permission to notice the lush beauty of nature buzzing around us all day long.
It’s as if we’re all computers and the Universe has hit the re-set button on our operating systems. We’ve been gifted with the sacred chance to power down, then power up again at a slower, healthier, happier pace.
Talk about a present. No guilt, no fuss, no muss. Just permission.
Take it for a spin. You may never want to live any other way.*
* Dear fans of Earth Rocks,
I’ve missed you! 😀 As you can see, my blog is returning after a bit of a hiatus. I hope you’re all in good spirits and good health… I also hope that you find some value and a smile in my musings on life.
The highest compliment you could give me would be to share this blog with your friends and ask if they’d like to become a subscriber. I’d be honoured if you would. My pledge is to deliver food for thought – not too much – not too little – j-u-u-u-st right.
With deep gratitude for your kindness and support, Karen. 💕
Years ago, I went through a country music phase, y’all. I knew every artist from Garth Brooks to Patsy Cline to Alan Jackson to Reba McIntyre and then some. One of the one-hit-wonders in the early 90s was a handsome cowboy named John Michael Montgomery. His big song? Check it out:
“Life’s a dance, you learn as you go. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow. Don’t worry ’bout what you don’t know. Life’s a dance, you learn as you go.”
And ain’t it true? We dance. Some days it’s one step forward; some days it’s two steps back. Often, we’re having such a good day, we could be the grand champion on “Dancing with the Stars”. Other days, we couldn’t two-step our way out of a paper bag.
Wouldn’t we all like to have more good days on the dance floor? Here’s the good news. We could, if only we’d focus on what went WELL today instead of on what went wrong. It’s that simple.
I do it on a whiteboard in my kitchen. At the top of the board in pink magic marker are the words “What went WELL today?” Before the sun goes down, I grab a marker and list all the things that happened that were truly good… evidence from my daily life that the universe is guiding me and opening doors in the right places.
We all have 24 hours in a day. If we focus on what was good about our “24”, we’ll simply draw more of what’s good to us in the next. Kind of like a magnet, eh?
Have you ever had the kind of day where nothing seems to go right? You know the kind I’m talking about. You sleep through the alarm and everything heads downhill from there.
You squish the toothpaste tube a little too hard, and a big blob of Colgate lands on your pants. Your hair won’t behave. The kids won’t behave. You knock over your breakfast smoothie on the kitchen counter. Instead of starting your day on a high note, you’re hanging onto the lowest note out there by your fingernails.
Here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be that way. How do I know? Because Willie Nelson says so. That’s right. Willie Nelson.
Turns out, the infamous musician, writer and weed aficionado has it all figured out. According to a recent article in Rolling Stone magazine, (https://bit.ly/2DF8bfJ) Willie has a new favourite phrase that he’s turned into a new song: “Delete and Fast-Forward”.
He says, “When you put a negative thought into your mind and body, it literally poisons your system.” Think about it. Negativity isn’t just unpleasant. It’s poison.
What does his new song title mean? Forgive, forget and move on. Whether it’s a friend who’s done you wrong, a life situation that just doesn’t seem fair, or getting up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning. Stop your negativity in its tracks by saying “Delete and fast-forward”. Say it out loud. Say it. And then do it. Forgive, forget and move on.
You’ll be amazed at how much better your world will start to turn.
His name is known around the world: Thich Nhat Hanh. Even so, a lot of people ask me “Thich Nhat Who?” Long story short, he’s a Zen monk who was once nominated for the Nobel Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. for his non-violent protest of the Vietnam War, “Thay”, as his followers affectionately refer to him, is a fountain of spiritual wisdom… the common sense kind.
Imagine the turmoil the world was in during the conflict in Vietnam. Probably much the same as the turmoil the world is in right now. Humanity was hurting. Humanity continues to hurt today. But Thay was smart enough to know that we need to focus our energy on a different word that starts with “h”: helping.
Here’s a quote of his that helps me find my centre when the world goes topsy-turvy: “‘Someone asked me, ‘Aren’t you worried about the state of the world?’ I allowed myself to breathe, and then I said, ‘What is most important is not to allow your anxiety about what happens in the world to fill your heart. If your heart is filled with anxiety, you will get sick, and you will not be able to help.'”
According to TNH, four little words are the key to thriving in a world that sometimes seems to have lost its way. “How can I help?”
Are you up for an experiment? Try saying that powerful little phrase three times today and see how it makes you feel.
