March 20, 2020: Worldwide and local realities of the Corona virus pandemic, some thoughts on how we can thrive more fully, in a less-and-more format:
Less scrolling our internet news feeds, more phone calls with loved ones. More paying attention to good sources of information.
Less thinking of people on the news as strangers, more realizing they are all our sisters and brothers.
Less thinking that all of this is someone else’s problem, more believing that as a group we can thrive. More placing value on what every single person contributes to society. Less demonizing any segment of the workforce, including white collars and government officials, ok? More appreciating all the layers of cooperation we need and enjoy.
Less complaining about government leadership, more supporting the things going well, more affirming the hard work being done, more praying for the human beings in charge, who have never navigated this before.
Less feeling lost in our homes not knowing what to do with this time and these new tasks (laptop work from home, schooling restless kids, etc) and less wandering around, more sinking in and nesting together. More making silly memories, more making all kinds of memories that will last a lifetime. This will hopefully be a once in a lifetime event, and none of us will forget how we dealt with Corona virus 2020. Make your future self proud, haha!
Less outsourcing your daily decisions, more tapping into your personal wisdom.
Less newsy, opinionated podcasts in the background, more music.
Less stress snacking, more sunshine walks and stretching.
Less busywork, more meaningful progress on big projects. Also more disinfecting, ha!
Less worrying and talking about each other’s complaints and woes, more praying about actual challenges. More praying for specific people. More praying for specific situations and needs.
Less food waste and hedonism, more appreciation for good nourishment and more sharing with others.
Less slouching, more dancing and yoga!
Less dwelling on plans thwarted, on goals delayed, on what fun we could be having out and about, more living in the moment and more trusting that this weird time is a gift to be enjoyed, maximized, savored. There are untold hidden treasures in this mess.
Less “What if… (bad stuff)” and much more “What if… (good stuff)!”
Less droopy outlook, more JOYFULNESS and inner aliveness!
Less focus on the negatives of social distancing and more focus on human connections.
Less takeout, more homemade comfort food and maybe more growing our own food.
Less driving, more staying put.
Less marathon training, more being healthy and having fun with health and fitness and not being sad about the marathon and also looking forward to starting fresh soon. On that note? Less group runs, more treadmill miles and more weights. It’s fine. It’s fine! Also, runners, listen to the podcast below if you need a morale booster about your race being cancelled. Good wisdom here.
Less planning out the details of every week coming soon, more living within the bounds of this exact day, because we really have no idea what is coming next.
Less control, more implicit trust, more surrender.
Less complaining, more actively giving thanks. Thanks to God, to our spouses and children and parents, to our neighbors and friends and workers and leaders. Thanks to everyone for everything we can manage to notice, because it matters.
Less stress, more peace. Good, deep peace, the kind that helps you breathe well. Invite that feeling, embrace it. Protect it. Allow others to have their own.
Less excessive junk food, more small hobbies that keep our hands occupied while watching movies because let’s be honest we are gonna be doing that.
Less fear, more confidence.
Less seriousness, more playfulness.
Less number crunching, more hand washing.
Less disregard for each other, more flattening the curve.
Less seeing how much we can get away with, more being proactive about our social responsibilities.
Less scarcity, more abundance. Abundance in all things. An attitude of abundance, in our thoughts and supplies and capabilities. More attitude of abundance in our relationships and our world.
Less fear, more Love. That’s really it.
What would you add to this list, friends? And how are you and your people doing? What a weird time. What a bizarre and beautiful gift this is, really. I hope you are finding the diamonds and gooey centers in your days. Stay in touch, take care!!
XOXOXOXO
~Marie
Questions and marital negotiations remain about more animal additions, much larger animals, but that whole story will simmer on the back burner for now.Gotta go. I have an attention starved 130 pound dog on my arm and two hungry kittens lurking nearby.