How 2009 prepared me for COVID-19
What is it going to be like when we come through COVID- 19 (and we will come through it)?
I have NO idea. But I know it's big and it's going to transform us in pretty much every aspect we can imagine. We are all feeling the uncertainty, the fear and the collective anxiety. Right now we all have a choice, we can retreat and play a part in feeding that darker energy or we can consciously choose to stop spinning and see things for what they are. Opportunities for growth, awakening, and slowing down, digging deep, and critical thinking ... amongst others.
There are ultimately two ways to see this "why is this happening TO me?" or "why is this happening FOR me?" Re-read that. Now notice how each question feels in your body. One feels very much like the victim mentality, while the other gives you some power back. If you're in the victim camp, it's OK. You need to recognize it to shift it.
I too spent many years in victim mode. In 2009 my husband was a casualty of the nation wide lay-off's and I was five months pregnant with our first daughter (read: about to go on maternity leave and take a big pay cut), we had also just had a 5 million dollar levy assessed on our condo building which meant a personal levy of 40K for our unit alone! We did not have the money. Needless to say, things were a little stressful and we felt pretty beat down. I remember us saying to each other "why does it feel like we have a big black cloud hanging over our heads?"
It wasn't until I was finally able to make a shift in my perception to see that perhaps, I had a choice in all of this, a choice in the way I viewed what was happening, that I stopped suffering. While this didn't change our circumstances, it made me see that I had agency over my life and gave me a sense of my power back. It was from this place that we could start digging ourselves out of where we were and allowed us to sink into the new reality we wanted to create for our lives.
Over the 10 years that followed, we continued to navigate many up's and down's ~ 18 months after my husbands lay off, I found out, the hard way that there are loop holes in our system and you don't always have a job to go back to while on Mat leave (I also say this with gratitude that we have the systems in place to receive EI benefits in Canada for 12 months). Regardless, it was a harsh reality to face when I had been really looking forward to returning to a job I enjoyed after years of financial stress. AND, this was the launching pad for me to start my own entrepreneurial journey, just like my health crises was the launching pad for me to certify as a health coach. Sometimes (most times) the gold is found when you dig through the mess.
All of this has happened for us. I will admit when people told me this (and they did) I could not see it. I was AFRAID. And I can now say with certainty it has shaped me and my view of the world in ways I could never have imagined. It has also given me serious confidence that all of us can weather this latest storm. I believe that all of this life experience has prepared us for times like these and is helping me navigate what we are currently going through with a calmness and sense of 'okay-ness' that I definitely didn't have 10 years ago.
Like many others, we are also navigating the high's and low's of business (will my husband keep his job? Will I still be able to get paying clients?) and adjusting to a new normal of working from home with two kids in tow. There are days when I question it, there are days when I legit through a temper tantrum and there are days when I am fully embodying my role in leadership, business, mom, wife and radical self-care junkie. I'm riding the waves as they come.
So how am I navigating this?
I am leaning on my routines and tools. Hard.
For me that includes meditation, daily walks outside, using my essential oils and card decks to help me tune into my intuition and leaning on my people to process out what I need to. This includes my husband, friends, coaches, and family.
The oil I am leaning on the most right now is Lavender: The oil of calm + communication. Who doesn't need this right now! On my throat, forehead, wrists. All day long.
How are you navigating these times? Drop a comment or send me an email jane@thisiswell.com.
While we may be physically apart we really are all in this together.
Sending healthy vibes
xx
Jane