For so many of us, this time will represent a season of much anxiety and dark clouds. Jobs lost, income streams impacted or halted, huge turmoil for loss of loved ones and the health concerns that have arisen
In whatever situation, whether it be a smaller inconvenience or a big crisis like COIVD19, there are two postures that we can take:
Survival posture.
Where we seek to simply ride the crisis out, minimizing loss, just waiting for the day it’s all over. The danger with this posture is that we can go into a hibernation mode where we simply wait..which means days and opportunities could be wasted.
Thrive posture.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that your outcome will be that of 100% thrive – no one can guarantee that. But it means that this is the way you show up daily; seeking to contribute, comprehend and create, because this creates a space for improvement or movement. Thrive speaks to being awake and using what you have at your finger tips.
How do we shift towards a Thrive mentality?
Before going further, imagine yourself in a few months time: the lockdown has ended, and things are slowly moving to normality. You can see friends and family again, planes are flying, coffee shops open, loving the freedom. Now, if you were to look back to your past self going through this lockdown, what specifically would you want to feel proud of achieving in terms of a contribution towards someone who needs it, comprehension of a deeper kind of understanding or creation of something new?
We know these are difficult times and we cannot control the outcomes of them. But we can make our journey so much easier, if we start today with the mindset towards contribution, comprehension and creation. These three words provide purpose to this season.
This quote sums up the intention of this quite nicely:
“In a few years time, you’ll wish that you started today.”
What would I have contributed during this time?
Perhaps it’s..
I made people feel goodI made people laugh
I helped another achieve their goal
I helped others in need and contributed to them
I comforted those who were down
“You weren’t created just to consume resources, you were put on this earth to make a contribution.” – Mother Theresa
What would I have comprehended during this time?
Perhaps it’s..
I read some new books
Learnt a new skill
Started a new hobby
Learnt something new about a family member
Unlearnt some old habits or ways
Comprehension reminds us to go a little bit deeper, get curious to understand and get dirty within discovery.
What would I have created during this time?
Perhaps it’s..
A book
A poem
Health improvement
De-cluttering and re ordering of your world
Spiritual practices
An artistic craft
If we aren’t creating we tend to do the opposite which is accepting. And this can sometimes lead to idleness.
These are tough times and I know that we can’t control the outcomes. But we can make this journey much easier by starting today with shifting into the mindset of the “three c’s” for everything we do.
One day, we’ll be sitting with our friends, no masks, full wine glasses, knowing that we can buy some more tomorrow, reminiscing about our COVID experience. May the stories that come to mind go something like this: “ Indeed, those times were horrible. But Im thankful for that time, because it was then that I started…”
Fill in the blank with your beautiful contributions, comprehensions and creations.