May 1-9, 2020
Sorry folks for being quiet for a week. May 1st hit and my work life took most of my time. We had a lot of things going on due to closing of our fiscal year and then some organizational changes. Yep, even while sheltered-in-place, the work wheels are churning and pieces are moving in unexpected ways. I have been very busy and I expect to be more so within the next coming weeks.
Outside of work, another family emergency came up last Monday, May 4 and that knocked a lot of wind out of my sail. I lost a little bit of my optimistic energy. Thanks to meditation, I’m able to dust myself out of the rot. It does help put things in perspective. I practice pranayama – deep breathing – and the practice allows me to be calm and centered and more focused.
We can’t be prepared for every curve ball that comes into our lives but we can strengthen our mental muscles to cushion the blow. This is what meditation and finding your center is all about.
Some insights for me the last few days:
- My meditation practice has been making me more aware of who I am and is helping me become mentally stronger. This week has been rough both professionally and personally but I have been able to pick myself up and dig deeper to balance my psyche.
- My priorities have always been family, self and work and that hasn’t changed. I strive for a balanced life and I work to live not live to work.
- I am more centered. Knowing who I am and what I want in life has made me more calm and less insecure about the future. I’m in a good place.
All three insights are also helping me deal with the uncertainty of the future as a result of this pandemic. It’s been 54 days and people are still dying and getting sick. No one really knows what the future will bring. Just today, Seoul, the capital of South Korea had to close some of the recently opened bars and clubs because a new wave of infections have occurred.
I cannot fathom the unbridled desire of others to force the issue by demanding that cities open up and “go back to normal.” I understand the despair of others because of jobs lost, furloughed or businesses shuttered. However, there is no going back to normal until a vaccine is developed. There is no going back to normal if human life is at stake.
We are no longer living in normal times. If I were you, I would start planning or preparing for a future completely different from what you envisioned 54 days ago.