Gratitude can be a wonderful thing when it comes to dealing with any kind of adversity.
Reminding ourselves of what we already have, rather than focusing on what we think we lack, helps us.
Right now, I’m genuinely feeling grateful for:
- work I love and which I can do online and from home
- the internet (!!!! Can you IMAGINE social distancing without it?)
- access to clean running water, soap and all my basic needs being met
- loads of fantabulous reading material (who needs to stockpile groceries and loo roll when you have an abundance of great books and magazines?)
- family and friends who are already familiar with online communication so we can at least be there virtually
- good (mostly) health
- amazing health professionals and other people who are keeping everything running as best they can
- all the people – especially low risk people – who are following the advice to social distance and hopefully minimise the spread of corona virus / Covid 19
- all the people who are helping others, finding creative, remote ways to connect and reminding humanity that there’s so much goodness in the world
- the healing power of nature, not just for my own soul but seeing reports of the earth regenerating as we humans lighten our footprint for a while
- people’s resilience (like the 101 year old Chinese woman who made a recovery)
- loads of gardening and home projects that I haven’t yet done so even if I need to self isolate (assuming good enough health to DO stuff – I tend to shuffle around feeling sorry for myself with “just a cold”!)
- loved ones I can meet for walks in the countryside (keeping enough space between us)
I could go on and on as I am feeling enormous gratitude in this moment.
And, of course, there’ve been moments of fear, anxiety, rage and more. I’d have struggled to connect with any kind of gratitude in those moments but, like all feelings – like everything – it passes.
Meditations like this (adapted from ENLP) really help me and I hope it will help you.
Once you get the hang of it, you won’t need the recording and can pretty much do a variation of it any time any place it feels beneficial.
A lot of my corona virus / Covid 19 blogs have focused on self care coaching for anxiety but today, am encouraging you to connect with the Miraculous Self you may have met in the meditation.
If you haven’t listened to it yet, you can still connect right now.
Spend a moment feeling the support below your feet and any other parts of the body touching the chair.
Say “Hello” to your Miraculous Self / Self / True Self / Higher Self / Atma or whatever you call that part of yourself that KNOWS each next best step.
That knows that all is ultimately OK.
Ask this wise, knowing part of yourself to introduce you to a Future You.
It may be 6 Months Older You, 5 Years Older You or 4 DECADES Older You.
But it’s an imaginary (but powerful) You that has come through the other side of this pandemic.
Older, wiser, maybe a bit scarred but still whole.
Still – maybe more – connected and loving.
Let whatever age Future You image springs to mind form more clearly in your imagination.
What is S/HE grateful for?
It might be Covid related or it may have absolutely nothing to do with it.
Make a list of some of Future You’s imaginary gratitudes.
Let them highlight what your hopes are.
We spend so much time thinking about the worst case scenarios. We’re wired to do that. But if you let yourself go with this, notice what wisdom emerges as you connect with that Resilient, Older, Wiser You.
As well as connecting with that gratitude energy that is so empowering and healing, ask Future You what wisdom s/he has for 2020 You.
What do you need to hear right now to help you get through the coming days and weeks (maybe months)?
What wisdom can you bring from 2026 or 2066 or whichever year you’ve connected with to help you now?
Feel free to email me your reflections. I read all emails and reply to as many as I can.
If you have questions you’d like me to answer for future posts, I welcome those, too.
With love,
