All over the world, streets are empty, but we can still have a full heart. While the world sleeps we can wake-up within. I’ve had an emotional shift during this pandemic that feels like a priceless spiritual gift. My, I don’t care button, has been activated. I don’t care to worry about things I cannot control (which is almost everything). I don’t care that I had to spend time with me because I made friends with myself a long time ago and I rather enjoy my own company. I don’t care about the things that concerned me even a month ago, such as what will happen “IF”… I no longer care to give “what if’s” any space in my life. I will live in the here and now, and with that decision comes a feeling of complete freedom!
Are you an Introvert or an extrovert?
If you weren’t sure before the pandemic, I would imagine by now most people have figured out the answer to this question, and most have a darn good idea where they fall on the people spectrum:
Yes, I love time alone, or no, it was awful not to be out and about and social with my friends.
I realized that my daily life hasn’t changed all that much during this pandemic because I’ve been living true to myself. I’m more of an introvert and I used this downtime to finish my next book. I have also used this time to realize that my life is simple, and simple is better. I don’t require a lot of outside things or people to make me happy. I realized that I have a big hole in my heart from the loss of my beloved dog last September, and so I signed up on the Rover app to watch other peoples’ dogs. I can love your pet when you can’t, and this will go on just until I’m ready to invite another fur baby into my life.
I learned that I miss my volunteer job of cleaning horse stalls. I learned that I trust most animals more than I trust people, and when people show you who they are you absolutely should believe them. Stop making excuses for those A-holes in your life. If this pandemic hasn’t shown you how little control you have over people, places, and things, then I’m afraid nothing will. This pandemic can teach us to let go and live in life’s flow or it can teach us that our anxiety still rules our lives, because this whole situation has been too much for you to handle or accept: Which category do you fall? Do you know?
The collective sigh of the planet has amounted to a decrease in pollution. The trees get a break. The birds continue to chirp and mate and do what birds do. We have the time now to stop and look at the wonders of our beautiful world. In a ten minute span outside my kitchen window, I had the pleasure of viewing a possum, several squirrels, goldfinches, a purple martin, and the creme de la creme was the Indigo Bunting that I spotted hiding amongst the honeysuckle leaves. Had I not slowed down and taken the time to be present in the moment I might have missed those colorful gifts.
We can seek to change the world, but our world changes when we change ourselves. The freedom that comes with giving up control is the lack of anxiety. Anxiety dissipates when we refuse to live in a state of expectation. It’s our unmet expectations and fears that drive anxiety. This whole pandemic has given us all a chance to take a collective pause, and the forced isolation was a darn good opportunity to “know thyself.” I hope you took advantage.
Lisa Boucher is the award-winning author of “Raising The Bottom: Making Mindful Choices in Drinking Culture.” She has contributed to notable publications such as Shape Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The Fix, and is a frequent guest on numerous syndicated radio and podcast shows where she talks about addiction, alcoholism, childhood trauma, and how we can heal. A recovering alcoholic, she has been sober for thirty years and understands the complex nature of addiction and how childhood trauma is often at the root of what ails us. A registered nurse, Lisa believes that traditional healthcare does little to incorporate the mind-body connection, nor does our current culture appreciate the healing power of nature.