“Compassion is the radicalism of our time.” – Dalai Lama
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended all of our lives. The vast uncertainty, the unease, the strange and unfamiliar territory we find ourselves in has us all feeling a bit disoriented. We’re at the edge of our comfort, fumbling our way into “new normal.”
There’s just so much we don’t yet know.
So let’s get out of our heads for a moment. Slow it down. Go inward. Come all the way into your heart.
It is from this space of softening that we can access the quiet wisdom of the soul. Our souls are guiding us through every kind of experience and perspective. If we can learn to be at ease with how beautiful and unfathomable that is, we let go of resistance and can be fully with what IS.
My loves, here we are.
1. Arrive As You Are, Where You Are.
Whatever you’re holding or feeling? Be with it. It’s okay to feel however you feel. Take time to be with yourself, to be with your heart. Acknowledge the fear. Grief. Loss. Frustration. Longing. Pain. Arrive in the world each day exactly as you are. Whole and complete. Start there.
2. Cultivate Gratitude.
During these challenging times, it’s easy to get caught up in what we believe is missing or lacking. But what if we took a step back and looked at what is right in front of us? How might we access beauty and appreciation for life? As you rise each morning, ask yourself: What is one thing you are grateful for, right in this moment? Cultivating the habit of gratefulness helps us realize how very little we need and how much we already have.
3. Remain Open.
In a world that sometimes feels cold and unforgiving, stay open. Fear will tell you to shut down — Open. Even. More. Breathe with the waves of uncertainty, not against them. It is when we resist that we suffer. Commit to keeping your mind and heart open to fullness, possibility and expansion. This will usher in compassionate action.
4. Give Relentlessly.
Draw in more of what you need, less of what you don’t. Consider what you crave, need, desire. Is it more love? Acceptance? Patience? Kindness? The thing about taking in what you need is that you also have to be willing to give it. If you want more compassion in your life, you must give compassion freely. There is no such thing as one-way energy. Energy in, energy out. Be the giver, and abundance will wash over you.
5. Release Outcomes.
We are simply not in control of the outcome. But we do have a choice in how we respond. What is one thing we can do to bring ourselves more fully into the present moment? Do that. All the rest? Let it go. Wash it through. Remember that everything is temporary.
We are part of a beautiful and thriving global community that is as big and spacious as the crisis itself. Keep coming back to love as the goal, compassion as the instrument. And together, with souls on fire, we will become stronger, better, ready for whatever.