What a week. Really, what a past few weeks. Everything and their mother by now knows well the struggles of quarantine life – and some unlucky ones know the struggles of the sickness itself.
I don’t know how long of a road this will be – none of us do, really. I’m no ER nurse or front-line physician (bless you all) with the ability to truly help the sick in the time, beyond what social distancing can do to prevent getting sick in the first place.
But one thing I DO know (or at least like to think I do) is quippy little Mantras to help make your Mondays a little bit better. Heck, I’ve got a whole book of 52 of ’em comin’ atcha in May, and a virus ain’t got nothin’ on that (so get your pre-orders in, yo). 😉
As stress-inducing, unnerving, and downright horrifying as this whole thing is, we have to hold onto hope that this too shall pass.
This too shall pass.
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As they say in my favorite musical, even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise. As so terribly sucky as all of this is right now and has freaked the freak out as we all are, we HAVE to hold onto the hope that things will get better and this too shall pass.
Sure, we don’t know when and we don’t know how, but it will – because no storm in the history of ever lasted forever.
So to spur some serious #MondayMotivation, today’s Mantra is pulling some weight from the past, to remind us of where we’ve been while giving us hope for where we’re going. Because this is the Wild Wild West-but-all-over-everywhere right now, and it’s scary and hard and trying on us all – but we’ll get through…
…and this too shall pass.
I will carry on. In our lowest moments, that’s when we’re given the grace + strength to grow high again.
Give yourself space. Specifically, at least 6 feet because #SocialDistancing. 😉
It gets better. But sometimes, we need rock bottom. We need rock bottom for perspective + appreciation when we’re at the top. We need rock bottom as a kick in the ass (when applicable) to get back on track. We need rock bottom to remind us of how strong we really are. And when we hit rock bottom, we need to remind ourselves that it gets better.
I can’t control it, so I can’t let IT control me. Are we in control of all things? Absolutely not. But here’s what we CAN control: our perspective and our choices.
Create your own joy. Especially in what can feel like an otherwise joyless time. Create your own opportunities to become more joyful in life. Stop waiting for joy to fall into your lap. I heard the coolest quote on happiness once that said, “Happiness isn’t served to you; it’s earned. It’s created.” Happiness is earned. Joy is EARNED. Meaning, it takes intentional action to achieve. Happiness isn’t just something we magically stumble upon on the sidewalk. Joy isn’t something we luckily sit next to on the subway. (Thank the sweet Lord baby Jesus since no subways for a hot sec, right? 😉 ). Take control of the one thing that you always can control no matter the circumstance: your perspective.
We know we’ll be “locked up” for awhile – so what are you gonna do about? Any time you feel “stuck,” be it mentally, creatively, or quite literally, first identify WHY you’re stuck. (Hello, COVID-19). Then, figure out how you can pivot from that to get UN-stuck by doing something about it.
If not now, when? Because if you can’t make it happen when there’s literally nothing else to do (hello, quarantine), you just won’t make it happen. And also,
What are you waiting for? Like, seriously. Time is unforgiving. It moves forward no matter what we are doing or thinking or stressing over.
Clear out the clutter. When you have too much going on in your physical world around you, it can manifest itself in your head as a big mumbled jumbled out version of life.
Do less, receive more. Especially true right about now, when doing less (aka staying inside solo) can mean more health, which means more happiness. You don’t actually HAVE to take this time to write the next great American novel or get 6-pack abs – you’re also allowed to relax. Recharge. Rejuvenate. Restart.
No rain, no flowers. When it rains, let it pour into you as means of cleansing and healing. When the sky of *life* opens up, open yourself up for growth. When it storms, stay steadfast in your beliefs and in yourself and know that you are worth more than your self-doubts, and you are prepared to perform at a totally new level. Because without rain, there are no flowers.
I can do hard things. Whether or not something is “hard” is a pinch of truth, a dash of actual physical challenge, and approximately 89% mental game. There’s obviously not some overarching qualifier for whether or not things are “hard.” Writing a book is “hard” to some – others have hundreds of publications under their name. Running a marathon is a “hard” feat for many – others think it’s “hard” to run one mile without stopping. Quarantine life may feel “hard,” but you can do hard things.
Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise. Sometimes, everyday feels like a Monday. Sometimes, it can be way too hard to find a silver lining, let alone a white cloud. Sometimes, there’s no easy answer or respite in sight – it might feel uphill all the way and then some. But in those hard times, that is where we need hope the most. No matter how dark the night, sunlight will eventually shine through. It might feel like twelve hours away, it might be twelve minutes ‘til sunrise – either way, we’re hopeful every single night of the coming sun.
This too shall pass, friends – it really will.
And when this all ends – which it will – every sports game will sell out, every kid will be glad to be in school, every restaurant will have a two-hour wait, the stock market will skyrocket, everyone will lovelovelove their job, every other house will get TP’d, and we’ll all hug and shake hands and sing Kumbaya in big groups of people without fear.
That’s gonna be a pretty good day.
So hang in there, girlfriend.
This too shall pass.
