Where would you say you are? In an ocean without a life jacket? In a desert with a canteen full of water?
Since the COVID-19 pandemic sprung upon us, where has this sudden change of events found you? If unemployed. Are you finding yourself ill-equipped to weather the storms of uncertainty? Or, are you finding yourself enjoying your abruptly-given time off, putting your newly found freedom to great use?
Staying “in the know” is not what you want to do during this abnormally, unprecedented time. But staying centered is. Sure it is important to know what’s going on in the world, but constantly watching the news or reading the daily paper will only create anxiety. Viewing others’ comments and posts about what they think will happen in the near future will also create more uncertainty and in some cases, panic.
When seeking to be informed, it’s obvious that most of us do so because we want to be able to create, again, a world of normalcy and security. But what we don’t realize is that when a crisis is sometimes, to a degree, beyond our control, what we are opening ourselves up to is confusion, and more anxiety, resulting in more fear-based, decision-making.
Ask yourself this question. What do I choose? At the very moment that you find yourself checking your phone for a news update or sitting down to watch a YouTube video, ask yourself “What is it that I choose today? Fear or confidence?”
Whether we are aware of this or not, each moment of every day, we all do make a choice to be at peace or to worry. Since it is much easier to slide into lower emotional energies, we must try with all of our power to refrain from sources that open doors to fearful thinking. Making decisions from a fear-based mindset will only compound more problems which in turn creates more worry and anxiety.
Do this instead.
During times such as these, the best practice to begin putting into place is the practice of meditation. Sitting still and quiet not only creates new neural pathways in the brain but it helps alleviate the stress that, if left to persist, can cause other serious mental and physical health problems to worry about. The vicious cycle will continue and the worries will continue to grow.
But you are not the story that is now being presented to Earth’s population. You do have the power, believe it or not, to narrate your life in any way that you want it to be. Just because you are exposed to life’s many different events doesn’t mean that you have to react to every event, big or small, when it happens.
Since we all are connected to alerts that keep us informed of our world every moment, it has become much easier now for mind manipulation. Practicing some form of discipline in what you are letting in will definitely help you in the long run. The more you practice turning off the “other sources” and give more practice to listening to your inner guidance, the better you’ll become at seeing that you do actually have more control over your life than you think. Paying closer attention to and acting on the inner guidance that each of us naturally come into this world fully equipped with but over time have been conditioned to ignore, will be the ultimate saving grace for all beings living on this planet.
Your inner guide will seem to be nonexistent at first since it had, for such a long time, been consistently ignored. But with proper strength training, the subtle nudges will become stronger and clearer, and your confidence will grow in knowing what to act on and what to ignore.
When you’re constantly reacting to a story every minute of every day, you will burn out fast. Over-reacting will eventually hinder your ability to act when needed. Plus too much information will just overload your circuits causing you again to just shut down.
So, how do I practice sitting still and being quiet when it appears that the whole world is crumbling around me?
It is from times like these that you will find out what you’re really made of. Will you be the calm one in the burning building, or will you be the one who will cause everyone to perish? Will you be the “actor” in your own story or will you be the “reactor” in someone else’s story? These are the questions you must ask yourself. Just as it takes many hours, months, or even years for an actor to become a master of his or her craft, it will take the same amount of discipline to become just as much of a star actor in your own life story.
Every single day a new story emerges. Imagine new neighbors, a young couple, have moved in next door. Now what were once silent, relaxing evenings that you had occasionally spent outdoors on your back patio, have now abruptly come to an end because it seems like clockwork, 8 p.m. every evening an argument takes place between the two of them, forcing you to go back inside. Before the couple moved in your story was a nice book, with a glass of wine, enjoying a pleasant breeze in complete silence. Now, your story has seemed to change to a nice book you can barely focus on, trying to enjoy your glass of wine along with a pleasant breeze in complete chaos. Or, has your story really changed at all?
Of course, it has. But only slightly. The truth is that you do still have full control over what you decide to let into your life and what you decide to ignore. If you choose to react to their story then you have allowed the couple next door to narrate your story. Choosing to ignore their story just simply keeps you as the lead in your own story. And why shouldn’t you be? Master actors leave the reacting for the amateurs to focus on creating the life story that is truly envisioned.
It is this same way of thinking that will help with learning how to sit still and be quiet. A master actor is required to retrieve learned or acquired behavior while a reactor simply is exhibiting the result of an intermittent forfeiture of one’s power. In other words, meditation empowers you and keeps you empowered. When you’ve established a steady habit of meditating, you will create your life with confidence. The direction you will need to navigate successfully through the storms will be given to you in the quiet and stillness of meditation. While everyone is screaming, “The sky is falling!” You will understand that the sudden changes in scenery aren’t necessarily for your detriment but could just as well be used for a new beginning.
CREATING A SACRED SPACE FOR SOLITUDE IS A MUST!
Investing in creating a sacred space for yourself can not only be a fun project but it can also help you to become more acquainted with who you really are. What colors or fragrances make you happy? What images or furniture styles inspire you? The answers to such questions and others will become an adventurous road to self-discovery all by itself.
When creating your sacred space, please keep in mind that your intention is to keep the world and its influences out and to allow your inner guide to eventually become a stronger presence. So, televisions, radios, and even cell phones should not be allowed into your sacred space. Your goal is to eliminate all distractions for the purpose of listening to your own inner wisdom. The quiet and stillness will help you stay the course when everyone else is jumping ship.
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