Unusual times is an understatement.
But fear is always like that, it plays heavily to our insecurities.
We often invite fear into our lives like a distant relative who we know is detrimental to our wellbeing – yet still continues to entertain us by advocating his ‘essential’ nature. After all, he did save us from that sabre-tooth tiger. He’s also a relative we often argue with and subconsciously loathe, but familiarity seems to be the key that assists him to unlock the doors of our homes and hearts.
Like fear, our perspective to keep a steady and Inspired mindset falters when we’re faced with overwhelming challenges. Much of this comes down to the endless scientific research that we are emotional beings first despite our strongest arguments to the merits of logic and reason.
Fear though – based on a lack of health or money is a symptom of a much greater challenge at play.
As an example; it’s not the lack of money that frightens us into insecurity. It is our fear-based mindset surrounding the inability to earn the same amount in the future to keep us feeling safe along with a sense of freedom to meet our commitments. However, If you just sit there and worry about the lack of money entering your bank account, you’re exponentially and energetically expanding the ’lack’ of money to come into your future.
Just like a pandemic, it isn’t the virus itself we fear, it’s the end game of possible, death and that of unfinished business and un-lived dreams we’re afraid of . It’s a deeper realization that we’ve put off happiness or a purpose-fuelled future to some future date, so there’s no time to get sick or die in the here and now.
It’s interesting to note when taking a look at noteworthy mystics, guru’s and teachers throughout thousands of years of human development, that the word ‘death’ isn’t something that enters their mind with a sense of fear. Rather a sense of inevitable completion.
Another key attribute our wiser elders lead us with is their sense of compassion – understanding wholeheartedly that offering it, is a way of receiving it and spreading it further. Compassion and the reason to treat others with respect, dignity, and love seems to escape the human condition when a crisis or pandemic is being experienced. But that’s exactly the time when we’re being tested. Not by a higher power or deity, but by how much we’ve learned about the connection between a healthy and Inspired mental state and our tangible experiences in the outside world. Practicing compassion is by far the most important attribute we can bestow on ourselves and others to fuel a calmer state of mind when facing great challenges or when enjoying simple pleasures.
Here are 3 ways you can practice compassion when facing challenging times;
- Smile. Be a face of sunshine in an otherwise grim scenario. Life is wonderful if you’re living with a sense of joy for small things.
- Gratitude. You have the opportunity to be grateful for what you have and what can be with a sense of joy, possibility, love, and honesty.
- Mindfulness. Be still and know everyone around you may be much more frightened than you. Find solace that you are a pillar of compassion and possibility for them. This can spread faster than any virus can.
Love comes more naturally to the human heart than any other emotion. We all may not be in the science laboratories right now developing a vaccine to Covid -19, but practicing compassion is a way to express the love that washes our souls over with more calmness, understanding, and gratitude for this amazing experience – whatever the challenge.
Remember; any virus is the symptom of a much larger issue – if we want to look at a cause and change its impact in the future – it usually lays waiting to be explored within the human heart itself.