Ready or not, we're here, and it's happening.
The coronavirus has become so serious that the government can no longer ignore it or call it fake news. That's how I knew things were serious, actually—when the likes of the Trump Administration could no longer call it a hoax.
And then the schools closed, and workers were sent home, and restaurants were shut down, and now social distancing is being enforced, no longer suggested.
Many Americans are freaking the hell out. And, not that people don't have a right to be terrified, but the mass hysteria has caused people to lose their damn minds at the grocery store over a pack of toilet paper or disinfectant wipes. It seems like practically everyone is in panic mode.
And yet here I am, somehow consistently calm.
Don't get me wrong. This whole thing's scary and I'd very much love to live in a dimension where this global pandemic does not happen. However, I have done a lot of work to maintain and protect my peace, both spiritually and physically. And in this, I have found that the more I am at peace with myself, the easier it is to find peace outside of myself as well.
I have great peace knowing that I have done all I can to keep myself fed, healthy, and safe: stocked up on necessities without overbuying, consistently take vitamins and supplements, did healthy meal-prepping, accepted the fact that I would be staying the hell inside and then stayed my ass inside.
And even aside from my own peace, I became resolved knowing that I cannot control the things that happen outside of myself. I don't have the ability to snap my fingers and make this pandemic go away. I can't even guarantee that I won't contract the virus or come close to someone who has. So why panic about any of this happening outside of myself? Why show concern in the form of worry rather than the form of compassion for others? Why panic when I can prepare for what is to come on my own behalf?
Because I am not too far removed from a period in my life where I took hit after hit from life (and still enduring it in certain ways), with no end of pain or struggle in sight, I resolved to tell myself the same thing I told myself during the worst of those trying times:
"This sucks, bad, but this is your reality now. So, what are you gonna do about it?"
And when I thought about it and realized that I could only do what I could, and nothing beyond that, I came to rest in this reality, having confidence in my own capabilities while also realizing that some things are just destined to be above me. I am one person and I am only responsible for the things I do have control over, not the things that go beyond my reach.
So I do what I can. I take care of myself actively (being clean, eating healthy) and look after others passively (social distancing, not spreading misinformation). It's never too late for you to do the same. Your quarantine and social distancing are gonna look different from mine because our needs and circumstances differ individually. You know what works best for you, and what's more, you know what doesn't. Head back to the drawing board if you have to, but be sure to prepare you and your loved ones for the reality of the present and the unknown of the future. Do this with thoughtfulness for self and kindness for others.
Today. That's the best thing to focus on. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn't even here yet, but today, you have space, time, and choice. Take today, every day, just one day at a time. Make things smaller if you need to (this certainly helps me when my circumstances feel too overwhelming). Instead of asking yourself "so what are you gonna do about it?", change the language to fit something smaller. Instead say, "so what are you gonna do about it today?" This will ground you in the present, help you grasp what's most important right now, and get you away from those anxious feelings about the unknown.
Start there, on Day XX of your quarantine and social distancing. And then, keep on living. That's still the goal, after all: to really live.
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