We are in the middle of an official pandemic, and the last one was at least a hundred years ago and what we do know for sure is that this too shall pass. When COVID19 leaves, it will leave behind a world transformed, morphing into something that we have no idea what.
It’s basically been called the Great Lockdown, and unlike the Great Depression & the Great Recession, it’s not caused by a bubble in the economy but a virus that has the ability to reach all shores and touch everyone’s lives.
At the same time there has been a peaceful sense of quiet that has descended upon an overly busy world. The bustle is gone and as the quarantine takes place with many countries on lock down, a quiet has returned to the Earth.
I definitely understand that it’s my privilege that allows me to be reflective in this lull time. It’s given me the space to look at my life, it’s given me the time to decide to set up Wise Inner Council to bring forth my purpose to serve, it’s given me time to prepare and cook, to exercise daily and to meditate. My mornings are now filled with rituals of prayer and wellness rather than the rise, rush and dash routine of before.
Actually 2019 was a huge burnout year for me. I felt stressed, waking up at 4am in a state of anxiety over deadlines; a growing workload that I was struggling with; and an increasing toxic environment where the toll was taking good people and making them bad. It was like I was living in the Bad Place.
So when 2020 rolled along, there were definite decisions I wanted to make to change and shift my life and the virus pushed me along. Events got canceled, work went quiet and we were told to take COVID19 leave which was 2-3 days off a month. There was no more excuses of time, fatigue, distractions. It was time to implement those resolutions I made.
I’ve always seen the irony of Life or God’s sense of humor, I may not have enjoyed it as much since I was often the butt of the joke.. But really it’s like 2 opposing situations that are direct opposites of each other existing, at the same time and being both true all at once. The sadness, the fear, the anxiety of the Covid19 Virus, and the quiet and the slow down and the soulful reflection that it brings as well. This is probably the Yin & Yang of it all!
Every day is a page-turner and no one knows what’s next – it’s like a cliffhanger ending to each day. And the question on everyone’s mind is will I be ok? Will my family be ok? Will be job be ok? Will my business survive?
I’m here to tell you that yes, you will be. In these strange times, your capacity for Resilience and the ability to bounce back from whatever challenge is thrown at you is innate in all of us. It’s that core power we have to not crumple up and give up. Yes even if you have lost your job, even if you have not saved to weather the storm, even if you feel all alone, know this too shall pass. And in the meantime, here are some tips to call upon and build upon your Resilience muscle.
4 Pillars of Resilience:
1. Get A Soul Group or what I like to call A Jedi Council
Reach out to your trusted friends and check in on each other. Fill your Jedi council with those who are wise, soulful and resourceful to share your troubles with. Remember that you have what it takes to face any challenge before you.
In this time of crisis, it’s best you lean in and work on developing that relationship with God/Source/Force/Tao - call it what you will. When you are tested having faith that you shall rise and overcome thanks to a power that is greater than you is often the key to activate that power that is within you.
2. Look for the lesson:
All challenges have lessons to teach us. What did you learn because of the situation? What did you learn about yourself?
I often feel that these hard challenges are exactly like the process of forging a sword. You will totally find yourself in a situation that feels as if it’s initiation by fire, the obstacles feel as if the Universe is pounding down on you, blow after blow. It really feels like a big ole beating! But eventually the heat begins to cool and what you have left is a sword of discernment, clarity and wisdom. You could have never gleaned the sword without the forging by fire. And now you have your badass sword and no one can take that from you.
3. Make 1 Power Play:
Basically all you need to do is to take just one Power Move or positive step that will get you into the direction you want to head to. Positive steps can be meditating, exercising, letting go of the past, doing affirmations, getting out of your comfort zone, making a phone call, facing your debt, updating your CV.
When it comes to a big problem, I try to break it down and tell myself all I need to do is make only one move. This one step or new action is meant to point me towards a new and different future. That helped me stop smoking, start exercising five time a week, starting meditating daily. Whatever your new goal is - make one power play towards it.
Doing one move a day, helps to build confidence in our abilities and to develop resilience.
4. Being grateful:
There are countless of books out there that talk about Gratitude. People have built empires on harnessing the power of Gratitude.
It’s fuel that keeps faith burning and hope alive. Gratitude ignites your brain to release dopamine and serotonin – key components to shifting your attitude. It has a healing effect on us by boosting our immune system.
Making gratitude part of our attitude to life helps to remind us that, even though we are facing a difficulty now, actually we have a lot going for us. It helps us to reframe our thinking and get perspective and it reminds us what is important to us.
When you are having a bad day, instead of listing the things that have gone wrong, try listing 3 things you are grateful for.
