Every January I take a vacation down South.
But not this year. This year my vacation was ruined by Covid-19.
Don’t cry for me.
I am so grateful not to be infected by the virus. I am in good health, in a heated apartment, with an internet connection, all the comforts allowed to a city person, and I earn enough money to pay my bills.
But I am reminded for the millionth time, that I don’t control my environment nor the things that happen around me, I can only control how I react to my environment.
What are the things we don’t control
We must make the most out of that which we can control and accept that which is outside our power.
Right now, most of our lives have been disrupted by Covid-19
We have no control over how long the virus will last.
We have no control over the government regulations imposed upon us
To think about the things we cannot control is a waste of time.
I admit it. It’s hard to get out of the spiral of negative emotions brewing in your mind, as you try to sleep, but we have to have faith in the future.
My friend Cheryl was forced to abandon her career as a dance teacher
My friend Cheryl was in tears when a foot injury ended her career as a dance teacher. She went to many specialists and her food didn’t heal.
As she took inventory of her skills she decided to teach English as a second language to Chinese students via the internet.
Two months later after she was set up, she realized how lucky she was. Covid-19 struck North America, and millions of people lost their jobs, while Cheryl had found a new way to earn her living from the comfort of her living room.
Check out the story of the Chinese farmer by Alan Watts
Put things in perspective
No matter how difficult life can be, we live in a privileged society. Even our street beggars are privileged.
In Indonesia, a sulfur miner has to break rocks next to a live volcano to earn $US 12 per day. Any one of our street panhandlers can earn that in 15 minutes just by standing at the corner and extending his hand.
Most of us have all the luxuries of the modern world; from electricity, plumbing, and heating to internet services, iPhones, and government subsidies for health and education.
When we take inventory of all the luxuries and privileges and we compare it to the typical Bangladesh woman, we should drop to the floor and kiss the ground in gratitude for our good fortune.
Sweatshop workers in Bangladesh are paid just 24 US dollars per month. And that’s the official minimum. Most workers only get 13-15 US dollars per month. The above number is based on the official minimum wage.
After a hard day of work, they go back to their shacks with no running water nor electricity.
Be mindful of the self-talk
A few days ago I was mad at myself. I was having a podcast conversation with a historian about the Constitution of the USA and how it was interpreted in regards to slavery right before the Civil War.
I was mad at myself for not having enough knowledge to ask more interesting questions when talking to such a scholar.
My anger lasted for about five minutes before I congratulated myself for just being able to talk to this person.
Many of us talk ourselves down in a way that we would never dare to speak to anyone else. Try talking to yourself with compassion.
For example, instead of telling yourself you’re not good enough remind yourself that you are worthy of love and attention, or that it’s okay to make mistakes — we all do.
Express gratitude
Get in the habit of expressing some gratitude every morning when you wake up. Whether it’s a divine power or a random experiment of nature, the fact is that we are alive, we get to eat, and many of us have created a son or a daughter. Our instincts which are: to survive and to procreate have been met. All we have to do is to express some gratitude to Nature or the Creator for such an amazing opportunity.
Every morning, when I wake up, the first thing that I say is: “Thank you, destiny for giving me another day.”
Maintain social interactions
We have lots of control over our mental and physical health.
Every day, I visit my neighbor for at least 5 minutes. I call friends and family. I have Zoom meetings. I read books and listen to podcasts. I do whatever it takes to keep mentally fit.
Most of us have the same tools. We can find someone to care about and who care about us. We can reach out and maintain the human connection. It’s not always easy, but if we try it, it’s within our reach.
Get some sleep
If you are lucky enough to work from home and you are not commuting to and from work every day, now you have at least one extra hour in the day. Use whatever time you need to make sure you are getting enough sleep.
A good night’s sleep improves your immune system and makes you feel more optimistic about life.
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