Facebook reminded me of a message I had shared back on May 20, 2020 when we were 8 weeks into sheltering in place. Back then, I was reaching out to you through social media on Wednesdays, although for some reason I called them WOW Wednesday – no idea where that one came from! I read my words, and watched my video…apparently, I was going lighter with my hair during the pandemic. Again, a curious choice, most definitely influenced by COVID! Hair choices aside, in the darkest of days, the theme of my message was about trying to find a sense of normalcy by “trying something new”.
How little we knew about what was in store for us back then. I remember thinking that the kids would definitely go back to school in the fall – hilarious! While we are thankfully in a post-pandemic world today, I can’t shake this nagging sense that the days ahead are just as uncertain as they were 4 years ago.
My natural inclination in moments of uncertainty is to reach for familiar grounding practices like yoga, meditation, and journaling to find a sense of calm. While I am grateful for these mindful practices, I am finding they don’t instill the sense of balance that I desire. Whether it is the volatile mortgage rate environment (am I the only one who is done with this conversation?), the end of school and the start of new summer routines, or milestones like celebrating my best friend’s first-born’s high school graduation and welcoming my first born home after her freshman year in college, it all feels a little higgledy-piggledy right now.
As Memorial Day weekend approaches in 2024 I plan to take my own advice from 2020 and “try something new”. This time around, I am going in a different direction. Rather than holding tight to my tried-and-true grounding practices, I am going to try staying painfully present with uncertainty. I will drop my shoulders, open my heart and throw my arms open to let all the feelings flood in whether, good, bad or plain frightful. Instead of springing into solution-oriented action, I will allow what is happening to happen organically. Easier said than done for me, but worth a try!
At the cusp of a new season, what are you contemplating trying out regardless of the outcome? What could you learn from your 2020 self that informs your 2024 self? What unimaginably bold new action could you take that your 2028 self will marvel at?
