Who would have thought this situation would ever have been possible?
So many lessons for us all to learn.
Truth is I’ve been in ‘lockdown’ before, when I was ill a couple years ago and spent 6 months having surgeries, procedures and I was virtually house bound. It was a time to concentrate on my health and wellbeing and do the deep inner reflection, to take stock of what was going on in business, life and love.
A lot of people go through life caught up in the chaos of their environment- the things they need to do, kids, work and they feel the burden of responsibility. I hear people say all the time “there is just never enough time”.
I say, it’s not about time- it’s about alignment!
I’ve learned to notice and appreciate the small things in life. Now that we are all in that position, so much going on in the world and we all have worries going on, but it is also an opportunity to take a PAUSE moment and reflect.
What beautiful things are you noticing right now?
Is it the sky?
The fresh air you breathe?
The sunlight on your face?
The natural beauty all around you?
Your kids laughter?
An amazing cup of tea?
The friendships and love in your life that fills your heart?
Or is it the things you want to change in your life?
Perhaps the things that have not been going so well?
Now is the time to notice the small things you never noticed before.
We are all learning that the small things truly add up to the big things.
Here’s my 7 lessons from lockdown…
- You are much STRONGER than you think. Adversity and difficult times force us to grow, to build our resilience muscle and tap into our inner resources. Pause. Breathe. Observe your thoughts and reclaim your sense of calm.
- SLOW DOWN. Life moves so fast. A lot of the time we go through it in auto pilot. Whatever you enjoy in life, slow down to actually appreciate it and enjoy it.
- HELP OTHERS. People need your help more than ever. We have all needed help at some time in our lives. Perhaps like me, through illness, perhaps when we lost our jobs, or had difficulty in our relationship. I believe that the long term key to happiness and a fulfilled life is to help and inspire others. Open your eyes- use this time, how can you be of service to others right now? Helping others creates an infectious energy, compassion and love- who doesn’t need more of that right now? Some of the most amazing support, kindness and understanding I’ve received in life has come from people I didn’t even know- remember it’s the little things that have the biggest impact.
- LIVE IN THE NOW. Where you are right now. Not where you want to be. Not where you were last month. But where you are right now! Most people are NOT present in their lives, they are caught up in their thoughts and so they miss out on their actual lives. Being present in the now starts with self awareness- start with your morning rituals, set up your day!
- There is power in a COMMUNITY. Times of crisis being people together and I truly believe that we heal when we are our authentic selves, with others. There is a special energy that gets created when we share our thoughts, concerns and life with others. Are you getting the support you need right now from your community? Perhaps it’s time to build or join one.
- BE GRATEFUL. Focus on what is going well, not what isn’t. The simple act of being grateful has SO many health benefits, it helps us sleep better, it helps us focus, it helps our relationships and so much more. We can all get caught up in the worries of tomorrow, but it is so much better for our sense of wellbeing to take stock and be thankful for what we do have today.
- LAUGH MORE. Learn from the kids, remember when you too had that playful energy? What would you love to do more of? What lights you up? Do that.
And there are so much more amazing lessons to be learned! As the saying goes- the journey is more important than the destination.
I encourage you all to be mindful, take a PAUSE and use this time to reflect on what’s going on in your own life and what’s important! And to pay more attention to the little things in life.
I wonder what you’ll change when life gets back to “normal”?