In this day and age we find ourselves in a unique position that many of us have never experienced before. We are surrounded by the voices of our officials urging us to separate ourselves from each other, many of us are cooped up in limited space with or without someone else, and we are bombarded by two of our greatest fears as humans : mortality & the unknown. We don’t know when our lives will return to “normal”, we don’t even know what “normal” may look like when we get there and we are faced with the reality that not all of us may make it to that new normal.
This worldwide epidemic has created the perfect circumstances for change. This virus is an indifferent force. It doesn’t care what color your skin is, nor your gender, nor your sexuality, nor your political or religious affiliation or economic status, it simply does what it has evolved to do. This indifference can either create a great deal of Fear in us OR it can show us that all in all, at that microbial level, we are all the same. We are equal, regardless of what we think, say or do. When we take the time to experience that sobering reality it can show us a new perspective. One in which we are all on this journey of life together, whether we choose to like it or not.
As I’ve followed the progression of this interesting turn of events, I’ve seen so much Fear expressed as anger, conspiracy theories, panic, anxiety, and hostility. This Fear is seeping from every group across the board. Yet, I’ve also seen incredible acts of Love. People reaching out with offers of aid, entertainers – be it musicians, podcasters, actors, speakers, artists and more – offering gifts to THE WORLD, doing what they can to shine some light in what seems like such a dark time. I’ve also felt such a shift into peace happening beneath the cacophony of daily infection reports and news conferences full of finger pointing and blame dodging.
It reminded me of a story I once heard. A man was sailing his small boat through the ocean after a day of fishing and enjoying a weekend on the water. He had spent years saving up enough money to not only buy the boat – which was beautiful to his eyes, despite looking like a quilt of colors and patches – but to be able to rent a dock at the closest harbor to his small home. As he motored on he ended up in a violent storm that tested every fiber of his being. He held on to the ropes of his boat with all of his might, trying desperately to keep it above water. In the end the waves not only filled and destroyed his vessel but threw him into the tumultuous water. He struggled and fought for his life against the waves as they picked him up and threw him under the surface until finally he surrendered to the power of the water. A wave picked him up and threw him among the debris of his boat and completely exhausted he gripped onto a panel and accepted that he was going to die here in the ocean. In that moment he felt a calm wash over him as he was finally able to let go. The storm later passed and the debris helped keep him above water as he drifted in and out of consciousness. The coast guard later came and pulled him from the water and as he tried to put together the pieces of what he had just experienced he realized the mismatched and patched together panels of the boat had been able to break apart cleanly because they were not made of one clean piece of wood. What was seen as less desirable was the very attribute that saved his life.
We are in this same circumstance. We may not have had the systems to handle this situation, but we are learning to work with what we have. Better yet as we are effected by this massive force of nature that we cannot control, we get to decide if we are going to hold onto those ropes of control until they blister and cut into our hands or if we choose to let go and simply focus on where we are, be it the crest of a wave or the still surface of water. When we utilize our time, energy, and mind to try to anticipate the future we lose sight of what we can do NOW, even when all we can do is focus on letting go. Letting go of what people have said or done to us. Letting go of what we fear will happen. Letting go of what we are not able to do right now. When we release ourselves from these illusions of time we can completely and totally embrace ourselves with compassion. We can acknowledge that we need to rest, or shower, or eat, or meditate, or watch a movie. We can take care of ourselves first by putting our focus purely on ourselves and no one else. That is how we can ensure that we can then, in turn, aid others who may not be able to care for themselves at this moment.
Ultimately, when we let go, we allow the previous moment to leave and make way for the next. All the while we stay the conscious observer able to live our lives one moment at a time without getting wrapped up in those memories of the past, or expectations of the future. This is the new “normal” , at least for now, and when we keep ourselves centered in the present, we don’t have to compare this moment to anything else. We can simply be.
Remember, this too shall pass, but what we learn can last forever. I’m here for you, my friends. We’re all in this together….we always have been. From “An Invisible Journey” Matt’s Blog Matt Suter is an Astrologer, Oracle Reader, and Intuitive Coach at Firefly Hollow Wellness Center
