“Unprecedented Times…”

This is a phrase which we continue to hear over and over again throughout this year, and with good reason. However, it is important to remember that these words are most used when uttered during commercial spots, news stories, or other forms of media which stream a steady diet of information into your consciousness each day. What you hear is deliberately delivered in such a way which is intended to evoke a specific emotional response. When we hear something repeated often enough, it’s easy to become conditioned to it. This also leads to acceptance. Once we accept an idea, good or bad, the result often leaves us less inclined to decide whether or not we feel empowered to change or improve upon the perception of that reality. As creatures of habit, we should be cautious not to negate our own free will. The danger would be that our ability to discern whether we can or should be happy might be impaired.

Throughout history, we can point to major events which affect us all in one way or another. The challenge is to point to what we have and can appreciate the most during periods of turmoil. We should stay informed, but consider making sure that the diet of the mind is just as well balanced as the one we should be feeding our bodies. It would be wise to find other things on which to focus our attention after having determined the moment’s level of danger. Count your blessings, hug your children or partner a little more. Do something to uplift your conscious and unconscious mind and certainly find ways to keep your body active as well. The best way to endure something is to not just survive it, but to try and thrive whenever possible. If and when we come to pass through or around the challenges we face, surely not far down the line will be more. Not everyone will do so well, but we can all point to someone who might have it worse than us. I count myself among the lucky, and for that my method of endurance is to create an environment in which other people may come out of an interaction feeling better than they did when we entered it. Kindness, humor, and good old fashioned manners go along way. It’s also important to remember that others can’t see things the way that you do at the moment. It might not be their fault so patience is also important.

Be your own hero. Set the example. If enough of us can demonstrate the ability to choose our temperament, and thus our reality during a crisis, my prediction would be that you’ll find yourself surrounded by a community comforted by the belief and the knowledge that it will endure, and maybe even thrive through these unprecedented times.