One of my goals during this self-quarantine due to the Corona virus is to walk every single day. This is increasing my spiritual lessons as well as helping my body move and release tension.
One of my neighbors has inspired two lessons in the past four days of walking. One morning I saw her out washing her car. I greeted her and said what a great idea it was to get her car washed in between the rain. She sounded frustrated and said, "Well, I had to do something. I’m going stir crazy from this quarantine thing."
I waved at her and kept walking but I was thinking to myself how lucky we are that we have the privilege of being in quarantine. Some people don’t have that "luxury." I encourage us all to extend gratitude and prayers for those who are working so hard for us and putting themselves at greater risk:
Healthcare workers, first responders, grocery store employees and suppliers, the homeless, truck drivers, gas station/market clerks, vets, postal workers and other delivery personnel, plumbers, utility providers, and all the folks still working diligently to help those who were devastated by the Middle Tennessee tornado on March 3rd.
I'm sure I've forgotten people, but thank YOU if you are serving us and unable to enjoy the "luxury" of quarantine.
Our military has to leave home and go overseas to fight our battles. All we have to do is stay home to fight this one and to help safeguard those who don't have that luxury. Let's please remember that when we want to complain about being bored, or are counting toilet paper squares.
A few mornings later, I passed the same neighbor who had just returned from somewhere, though it was only 7 AM. She said she was just back from the grocery store and they didn't have much of anything. I haven't been out for nearly a week and as I kept walking, I couldn't help but wonder, yes, but what did they have? That thought prompted me to apply the same question to everything else in my life and nurture a mentality of abundance versus lack.
We can focus on lack or we can focus on what we do have. The key to peace right now is to reframe all of this in our minds. Things might be slightly altered and maybe what's in our pantries and refrigerators is not exactly all our favorite things, but how are they the same or better, even? What do you have in abundance? That’s a much better conversation to be having in our heads than thinking about what we don’t have, can't get or can’t do today.
When Facebook serves up memories next year, this WILL have passed. My mantra for several months now has been, "It won’t be like this a year from now. I don’t know how it will be, but it won’t be like this." And that certainly applies to our present social distancing or quarantine, and grocery store shortages. Let's embrace that truth and walk in gratitude and trust today, counting the gifts instead of what's in short supply.
I would love to know what unexpected gifts you're personally noticing from being in quarantine. Please tell us in the
FTG Reader's group. I’ll start the conversation and will look for your comments.
Also, do I have any dance party volunteers?! This week I did an impromptu
live FB video where I jumped in puddles to reinforce the importance of moving stress out of our bodies. I promised the next thing I would do is host an online dance party. If you’re willing to dance with me, comment on today’s post in the FTG Readers group and let me
know. I’ll explain how and we'll figure out when. It will be easy and fun!. Come on, don't make me dance alone! See you in the group...
