I am hearing a new term out there -- covid fatigue. Not surprising. We have been very focused on trying to take care of our physical bodies, but it is easy to forget that our mental and emotional 'bodies' are going through this as well, and exhaustion with it all is an indicator of that.
This could be discouraging, but a cornerstone of LOP is that we all want to feel good and are constantly doing our best to move towards that, no matter how low down on the downward spiral we may be (i.e. being in blame feels better than fear). So, this article will be my attempt to practice LOP with covid.
Maybe a good starting place would be to soothe our anger/fear about a pandemic. I realize that may be a rather large leap, but I am going to refer to the Abraham-Hicks analogy that reminds us it is a good thing that we have sensitivity in our finger tips so we won't continue touching a hot stove and damaging our hands. Feeling fatigue/anger/fear/grief is the perfect indicator/guidance that we want to stop doing whatever it is we are doing that is fatiguing us. (Better said, we want to start doing what feels good.) I would even propose that there is something underlying our covid reaction that was there long before the pandemic,
and this change has just brought it to the surface, and that is a good thing too.
Probably the more challenging step for each of us is clarifying what it is WE are doing/thinking/saying/believing that is not helping us to LOP, because contrary to what we are witnessing in our world, expecting/waiting for/trying to force others to be different so we can feel better, is not a very successful approach. However, what is underlying for each one of us is too large of a topic for this article, but perhaps what is do-able within these paragraphs is to practice feeling just a little bit better so that we cease burning our fingers. (If you are wanting to deliberately do some clarifying of what might be underlying for you individually I would refer you to the "Living On Purpose" book or journal, or the multitude of other resources out there on the topic.)
So, from the premise we all want to feel better, here we go. Again I am resorting to the Abraham-Hicks material, by playing the "What if . . ." game.
- What if it is perfectly O.K. and right to be feeling what we are feeling?
- What if it's a good thing we are fatigued and exhausted with all of this?
- What if we are supposed to be frustrated, angry and wanting things to be different?
- What if everything we are experiencing is perfectly natural and understandable and actually a sign of how healthy and well functioning we are?
- What if this was a good kick in the pants to stop pretending we are O.K. with a lot of things?
- What if we were able to start giving ourselves more of a break about everything?
- What if what is happening is not really something going wrong?
- What if based on where we are at in the world this was the perfect time for us to consider some changes?
- What if this has started a plethora of questions that are beneficial in the process of beginning to look for some new answers?
- What if the pandemics that have gone before helped us to be a bit more ready for this one and this one will help us be a bit more ready for whatever is next?
- What if we saw humanity as like an infant, just beginning to learn how to walk, and we were able to feel more of the patience, understanding, and trust that a loving parent does for their immature, inexperienced, doing-the-best-the-know-how-to child?
- What if we decided to give ourselves a break from not doing everything perfectly and allowed the trial and error process, that all new things go through, a chance to evolve and unfold?
- What if we were able to see this as a time to step back, take a breath, and chill?
- What if we are able to find a few things, that we are now doing because of the pandemic, that we realize we prefer and will probably continue to do even when there is no more pandemic?
- What if we decided that some of the "busy", "bigger is better", "be more productive" things we were participating in were probably not really to our benefit?
- What if a couple of things have come to light that you realize are a priority and you probably would not have seen them without something significant changing?
- What if through this, we in our small groups and larger groups, see some areas where we know we can and want to be doing things differently?
- What if because of this those who were focusing on other work have turned there attention to things that will benefit us all in the long run?
- What if because of this some things that were holding us back/getting in our way have come to light and at least we are now aware of them?
- What if individually and as a whole what is really important to us becomes a bit more clear?
- What if because of this there are a few more people/groups that decide they want to work together and move forward into new possibilities?
- What if a child growing up in this time is inspired to who they really because of it?
- What if some of the things we were clinging to, that were habitual and not very beneficial to us, have become impractical or impossible during this time and we realize we are ready to let them go?
- What if we begin to recognize the old habit of wanting conditions to be different in order to feel better and we are able to take some of our power back?
- What if we finally get tired of the blame game and decide to give ourselves some relief by reaching for those things that feel better?
- What if those who are determined to put their fingers on the hot stove and endure it are allowed to do so and decide on their own when they are ready to make a different decision?
- What if we become a spec more trusting and appreciative of all our differences, preferences, and abilities and begin to see each other from new perspectives?
- What if somehow we could look in a crystal ball, years in the future, and easily see how so many of the things we are experiencing now became beneficial to our future?
- What if something so disruptive ends up becoming something we can appreciate because of what it did for us?
- What if because of this there is the potential for a bit more love and understanding between us?
- What if within all of this there are answers to questions we have been asking for a long time?
- What if within all of this who we really are is shining and becoming brighter.