I think for a lot of people 2020 was supposed to be the year where everything changed for the better. It was supposed to be a year filled with new experiences, momentous changes and achieving lifelong goals. For me personally, I had this notion in mind that this would be the year where all the plans I laid out would come to fruition through diligence and honing in on the infinite potential that lies within. Then COVID 19 happened. It was an entirely unexpected, unpredictable left turn. Suddenly. all the strategies I had been working on to push my dreams into reality had to be reassessed, if not, put on the back-burner entirely. But even beyond that I knew that so many people around the world have been suffering indescribable losses far beyond my comprehension due to this pandemic. In a way this can be felt in the air around us.
As I've been attempting to adjust to this new routine, there have been ups and downs. An understanding that has helped me stay positive through all of this is realizing that sometimes the medicine that we need to heal us is often bitter. I think that being in isolation is forcing a lot of people to slow down and reassess their own priorities. In my case, it helped me stop and really strengthen my intentions as well as add more details to the goals that I had been visualizing. I only now understand how important this step is in my journey. If I look back at life, I know, beyond a doubt, that the most difficult experiences in my life became the catalyst through which I grew and changed for the better. I find solace in this awareness.
Another mental exercise that has helped me is practicing mindfulness. Just last night, I watched a lecture which said that mindfulness is not just breathing or meditating but it is the simple act of being present... entirely present. By this, it means to not focus on the future or the past but to simply soak in where you are right now. If you are eating a piece of fruit for instance, its to notice the fruits sweetness or the fact that you have a chair to sit in and a house that is warm. Perhaps its noticing that the room is quiet and you have time to think. This has deepened my sense of gratitude for the incalculable blessings that exist everywhere. I've also tried to take my previous goals and create micro-goals that I am actually able to work on while in self-isolation. These are just a few thing that have helped me. I hope everyone is staying safe and truly we are all in this together.