Winter Wisdom

Where do we go from here? This is the main question that every person would ask at a time like this in our country. We have been through a health crisis, economic downturn, census, and an election during the last year. It has been the roller coaster ride of a lifetime. We are asked to shelter in place, distance ourselves from friends and family and limit our movement from place to place to only essential activities such as doctor visits or picking up essential supplies such as food or groceries. Our education systems' challenges have been immense as family homes become school rooms as schools and colleges shut their doors. Businesses send employees home to work remotely or reduce their staff levels indefinitely. However, essential workers must continue to move in and out of their homes and work places. Everyone must wear a mask in public although some refuse to do so. Millions have lost their lives due to a virus that has created a global pandemic. Many people are not feeling optimistic after all of the trials and tribulations of the year that will be remembered as one of the most challenging for people worldwide. So, many people are filled with fear, anger, and dread. Many are feeling lost, like a ship without a rudder. Some have given up on hope. Others have taken to civil unrest due to their anger at the outcome of an election. Grieving families have watched loved ones succumb to deadly acts of violence. Indeed, the situation is dire at this time. 

Contrast that with rockets still going to space, almost weekly. Consider the stock market reaching all-time highs and continuing to rise. Ponder the transformations that are taking place to develop energy-efficient systems to reduce pollution across every country. Review the expansion of the ideals of and access to education over the internet. Look around at the advancements in all types of technologies used for all aspects of our daily lives. 

It feels like for as much of the challenges we are currently facing, there is an equal effort to pull us up from these forces that keep our spirits down. The forces that are creating new types of skilled jobs, new ways to distribute all forms of material goods (including using drones for package deliveries), and better use of the finite resources we all must share. A lot is going on to help our society move past the old paradigms for food, shelter, health, clothing, education, transportation, and entertainment. It feels like everything is changing all at once. 

We are feeling these shifts like quicksand underneath our feet. Moving us, pushing against us, pulling us back and forth. And sometimes, if we focus our attention for too long on all of these challenges and changes, we will feel stuck mentally and physically. Not able to reason through what all of these changes mean to our lives long term or short term. Some days you cannot even think from one hour to the next what you will need to be prepared for as we are constantly bombarded with "breaking news." 

I have struggled to maintain a sense of balance within myself during all of this turmoil that unfolded during 2020. We canceled our family reunion. Many family members were affected by job loss or reduced hours. School closings affected relatives attending elementary, middle, high school, and college. 

My journey over the previous twelve months includes the following steps, which provide the lifeline I needed to remain steady as so much uncertainty unfolded; daily yoga and meditation, walking outside or jumping rope, making the transition from vegetarian to vegan, creating a comfortable reading nook inside one room of the house, cooking my food with more awareness, eating my food with full attention. I pay more attention to each moment. If I am reading or writing or cleaning, I really focus. When I am working on a project, I am thinking about making it better but still complete on time. I write short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals and take a few tiny steps each day towards them. Some days I feel like I made progress; other days, I know I did not. But I don't discourage myself with any negative thoughts about myself or others. I remain fully aware of all of the challenges that we are facing, but I try each day to focus on something positive. It might include sitting down in silence to enjoy a meal, perhaps feeling inspired by an uplifting book that I am reading, dancing like no one is watching, or writing a new poem. I wrote a new book in 2020.

We must allow ourselves to grieve for the friends and family members we have lost. We must feel disappointed if our candidate did not win the election, be hopeful about the health crisis being remediated, send prayers for better opportunities for those suffering economically, and well wishes to anyone who is suffering ill health. The deep feelings are all part of the human condition. The challenges reveal many gaps in the human-made systems and where there is a lot of potential common ground in our possibilities for the future as a human family. There is no easy path forward. Each person can decide to use their innate gifts to help us move forward with grace and wisdom.

Namaste,

Dee Williams

www.kanjinyoga.com