The only thing we know for certain during these times, is that everything is uncertain.
Everything is so incredibly uncertain. The dates for the stay at home orders are continually being extended, I've really stopped expecting any of them to happen. In all honesty, there isn't much we can do about that, so why spend our energy worrying about it? We can all do our part to get our lives back to “normal” by protecting ourselves from contracting the virus and preventing the spread of the virus. But, even if we all do our best, it won’t give us a definitive end date for the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond that, there are many areas of uncertainty. We do not know if our jobs will be there when we return, if our businesses will survive, what the economy will look like after this, if someone close to our hearts will get sick, and we do not know *insert your biggest worry here.* But that is OKAY.
We don't always have to know how everything is going to work out. And, for all of us “type A” planners out there, that can be a hard concept to accept. Something I’m trying to wrap my head around is- no matter how much we plan, we never really know how things are going to work out. I could plan every penny in my budget, and all of a sudden my car gets a flat tire. There's an expense my budget wasn't prepared for. I could have a 5 year plan all set and ready to go with the new decade to start 2020 off with a bang, and all of a sudden a global pandemic sets in. I lose my job, have to isolate and adapt to this new reality, and that perfectly laid out plan flies out the window.
This is where faith comes into play. I use this analogy often with my friends... if you hold your budget so tightly that there is no wiggle room, it won't wiggle. Not only will there not be room for flexibility, but there won't be room for unexpected miracles.
Now, I'm not saying don't ever look at your finances and just pray your rent money will magically appear in your bank account. Be responsible. But, give yourself some grace, go with the flow of life, and have faith that you are being taken care of.
Faith /noun/ belief, even in the absence of proof.
I have an unwavering faith in God's plan for my life, and I know that He is watching over me, and guiding me on His path for my life.
That faith is something I used to take for granted, until this quarantine highlighted the fact that some of my friends don't have that faith. They don't have faith in anything. They are solely focused on what they can see directly in front of their eyes. Even when miracles happen for them, something doesn’t click, and they don’t always see it.
You have to have faith in something in order to take any step forward in life. That may be faith in God, the universe, the earth, or mathmatical equations. The only things in life we regret, are the risks we don’t take. If you don’t have an inkling of faith, you will never apply for that dream job, you will never get out of the apartment you hate, and you will never take any steps forward. This comes from fear and not believing the floor is solid in front of you, without looking at it, and possibly testing it before stepping.
We have to believe in the things we want to happen in our lives. You have to believe you are capable of starting your own business. You have to believe the floor is solid in front of your feet. And you have to believe miracles will happen in your life. Taking that first step in that direction is ALL faith.
People resist change. People resist uncertainty. Well friends, change and uncertainty are exactly what’s happening during this pandemic. Not only have our lives dramatically changed; we are in a full blown season of change. Everyone is waiting for things to go back to "normal"... but something in that "normal" wasn't working. I truly believe the other side of this pandemic is going to shine light on a world we have never seen before. How do we get to that new world? How do we shape it to be something better than it was before?
SO much of what is happening in the world today is out of our control, and, in order to move forward and continue to grow, we have to release those uncontrollable aspects and trust that God is taking care of them in His timing.
Once we have released what we can’t control, it’s time to focus on what we CAN control.
What are you CERTAIN of?
You can control how you spend this paused time, you can control your mindset, you can control your response to all of this, and you can control how you show up.
You may experience a few instinctual reactions/emotions you weren't expecting and that is 100% normal and healthy! We don’t really know how we will react to these unprecedented times, but you get to choose how you respond to those reactions. Feelings are signals. You can use those signals to help guide your path and your actions. Feeling fear signals that something is off. Well, the whole world is a little off at the moment. How are YOU going to respond to that truth?
Embrace this slower season of life! How often have we wished to have more time in a day? Take yourself on dates (to the living room). Get to know yourself more. Play 20 questions with yourself. Explore your thoughts on how the furniture is arranged or the color of the walls. Enjoy spending time with yourself! Your relationship with yourself is just as, if not more important, than your relationship with other people in your life, and we would never question hanging out with a new friend in an effort to get to know them on a deeper level. So, show yourself the same attention and take the time to get to know yourself on a deeper level.
One huge change I have made is that I am allowing myself to act on the inspirations within me. Do I feel like being productive? Do I feel like being creative? Or do I feel like taking a day to veg out on the couch and order in dinner to support local businesses? All of these options are open to me! I have found I am MORE productive, MORE creative, and everything feels more intentional and purpose filled.
And, by some miracle, (remember those miracles we talked about?) everything balances out. Of course I don't WANT to do the dishes, or sweep the floors, but at some point, I know I need to do it. I know I will be happier with a tidier space, and that inspires me to get the task done.
It's also okay to not be your most productive in the middle of a global pandemic. Let me repeat that for those in the back. It is OKAY to NOT be your most productive during a GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
One thing we can truly be certain of is the uncertainty of the world in this moment. Cling to that. Rest in that. Find peace there, and get comfortable, because we may be here for a while.
Friends, I challenge you to do something today that brings you joy, true, heart warming joy. It can be as small as sipping your coffee while sitting on the windowsill watching the rain fall. Or as large as finally starting the business you’ve been dreaming of. Whatever that is for you, find peace in that joy.
You are here.
I pray you are healthy.
And, we will get through this.
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