Right now, most of us are dealing with a reset caused by an unexpected change in work schedule, a sudden shift in access to life outside of our homes, and a surprising difference in our sense of community. Some of us are now exclusively around our family, while others of us are completely alone during this time. It’s normal for all of us to feel a bit out of sorts, for this reason, now just like any other time is a perfect time to look inward to find your anchor.
Communication
One of the ways that my life has changed is communication with myself, my team at work, and my loved ones. For each group is seems like Zoom calls all day is the “new normal”. We can no longer go sit on someone’s couch and not say anything or co-work in the same office with co-workers or friends. In fact, video calls have become the only way to communicate with others that stimulates the visual and auditory senses. While, we’re grateful for this technology, many of us have started feeling a bit of angst. The angst that we cannot get a hug when we need it. Angst that we cannot have a picnic with friends in the park, and angst that we cannot show people, someone, physically that they can touch, hold, and smell. But, looking inward gives you possible solutions. Instead of feeling angst, it’s best to experience gratitude. I’m grateful that I’m healthy, safe, and loved and have access to others through this technology. As such, by looking inward, I gained an entirely new perspective of video calls. This perspective enabled me to look forward to visually reconnecting from college friends and accelerator groups. I broadened my mind about converting my in-person meet up groups to virtual meetup groups so that more people could participate. Overall, it’s best to focus on the good part of the situation, rather than being consumed by the lack of access to the way things were.
Meditation Practice
Now, just like everyone other time, it is good to focus on your meditation practice. Many believe that they don’t have time to meditate because of their long commute or obligations away from home. As such, now is a perfect time to add those practices into your routine. I find that even 6 minutes can change my entire day. For myself, I increased the amount of mediation, affirmations, and dharma talks daily. Now I average about 5 hours a day. The sense of peace and joy that I receive from doing this eliminates all anxiety and fear, the desire to inhale all my pandemic snacks, and the tendency to get upset at the uncertainty. As such, looking inward provides the anchor that we seek. The good news is that everyone can do this.
Radical Compassion
Now it’s clear to me that what most people need is compassion. A lot of business owners are receiving a record number of bad reviews online. This wave of negatively is not necessarily because the business is actively doing anything wrong, but many people are lashing out on who they communicate with to feel some power. Furthermore, many business owners are trying to figure out how to survive with a massive lack of economic power, access to goods, services, and clients, and a requirement to stay at home. As such, as I receive negative emails or hostile communication, I remind myself that the person is only doing that because they’re in pain.
All in all, I have been able to find my anchor by looking inward to find strength and compassion. By embracing this practice, you will be a better communicator, more effective in your navigation, and more compassionate to yourself and others