There is a saying, that you can't control what happens to you, the only thing you can control is how you react to it. I think this is something that is highly important to keep in mind right now. So many people are adrift, being hit on all sides by new circumstances, many of which aren't comfortable. We feel like our lives are completely out of our hands, and we may be struggling to deal with all of the things we are thinking, feeling and going through.
But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We have ways to step outside ourselves, to shift our perspective, and to react to the circumstances we find ourselves in, instead of just reacting (one is a choice, one is an instinct).
The first thing we have to do is stop. We have to make a decision to step outside of the race for a second. It may feel like we are spinning out of control, but if we can close our eyes and take a deep breath and find our true center, retreat into our Self for a moment, we can create enough space to actually see what is going on.
There are a lot of things that we simply can't change. I can't force other people to do things, no matter how passionately I argue my point. What I can do is decide how I will respond to people doing things I don't approve of. Right now, there are quite a few behaviors that I find personally dangerous, and if I spent all my energy getting upset because people are engaging in those behaviors, I wouldn't have time to do anything else!
So what can I do instead? Always return to yourself. What can you do, that centers on you and the people you care about. Like I said, I can't change how other people act, but I can take precautions for myself. And I can choose to think of them as actions motivated by love and caring, they are protections, they are blessings and wardings. Switching your focus from one of fear (worry about what other people are or are not doing) to one of care (doing what is necessary to protect your loved ones) may sound simple, but it is a profound mental shift. It gives you concrete actions to take, things that you have control over.
Even within those protective actions, some things may feel uncomfortable and foreign. Mask wearing is new to so many people (if you weren't already in the health care profession or living with a chronic condition). And not only are they not comfortable (especially if you wear glasses!), but they are also a constant reminder of the situation. Needing to remember and wear a mask when you leave your house just reinforces the scariness of the unknown out there.
I've thought a lot about this, especially in regards to children. While my own son is grown now, I have friends with small children, and I feel for them. I also think that there is a tendency to broadcast our own fears and frustrations to our children (or other vulnerable people in our lives). And if we fuss and groan at having to wear our masks, how can we expect our children to wear theirs?
But masks have been worn as a costume and decoration for ages! I was actually thinking about this again after seeing some talk about 'what if Halloween is canceled???' and my first thought was that Halloween was the best holiday to have to wear a mask to. So many costumes already involve masks!
And if we think from a child's perspective for a minute, many super hero's wear masks. There are a ton of characters and people that they can look up to, who wear masks. Making the mask something special makes it something they want to wear. That makes it so much easier to get them to not only wear it, but to wear it properly.
This is also something we can shift our own thinking around. Find masks that represent things important to you, and make them something more than a necessity. Think of them as a tool, work them into your magical practice...claim them and own them.
And this way of thinking about things can be applied to pretty much any restriction or circumstance you find yourself in. Don't focus on what is bad or uncomfortable, find ways to challenge yourself into thinking about things from a positive light. We can't go out and socialize, well maybe it's time to start writing old-fashioned letters and sending little bits of art and wonder to your friends! Or maybe you want to try new ways of connecting online: play an online game together, or check out a digital chat room.
Your attitude, and the way you approach the things that life throws at you, has a HUGE impact in how you feel about where you are at in life. You can either dwell on the bad stuff, or find ways to highlight (or create!) the good. Seek the blessings all around you, call on your magic and make your world what you want it to be, and you will find that everything will be that much better than it was.
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