©LeisaHammett.com
COVID-19 has been many things to each of the many of us. Right now, I’m working on neutrality. It’s not an easy place. It’s a Buddhist place, although I’m not a Buddhist or anything but spiritual. By neutral, I mean attempting to observe and not judge it. But that’s a struggle right now.
My judgement and my thoughts have gotten me into a funk since Sunday….Our thoughts create our emotions which create our actions….So I own this. I’m the one choosing this, albeit understandable, misery of the mind.
Overall, the pandemic has been a time of intense spiritual growth for me. I’ve relished the opportunity to go deep and do shadow work. I say that knowing that I have the privilege of having my basic needs met when too many others do not.
I think I’ve gotten myself into this funk, in part, by increasingly reading too much news lately. I acknowledge that. I actually like politics. I like analysis. I work in public policy. I’ve been delving into the news for days now. One story leading to another via iPad apps. And that’s got me bobbing up and down on these dour thoughts.
I’m sad that we live in such a selfish country. That our peer nations are pitying the mess we’ve created for ourselves. Electing the most narcissistic flunk of a leader imaginable for ourselves. (Though his hateful acts and speech are driving us home eventually and awakening us to the core of love. Ugly tough love journey getting there and its pathway is very, very long.) So many following his lead to give the finger to scientists and some to even threaten their lives. Personal liberties end at the expense of others. My mother used to say my rights ended at the tip of another’s nose.
So here we are. Not at the cusp of a second wave. There won’t be a third wave. But a continuation of what is being called a series of forest fires. The coronavirus will torch whenever it reaches wood. And, we enabled that be not being able to abstain a little longer from going out to eat or congregate or travel. So those who did made it harder for themselves (eventually) and now all of us who followed the guidelines by putting our lives on hold. Only to have them be put on hold longer. Thank you.
I’ll go back to working on neutrality now. (I’ve actually written about it already for the third in my judgement series. I was holding it until I wrote the second in the series about self-judgement. Still pondering that one. And I also took a pause here to elevate voices of color.) So, no more reading the news for a bit. Getting back into nature. I ill timed our walk yesterday so that we didn’t get out and do what balances me. I know that there’s more to life than going out and I will rebalance and look at all the beauty and goodness that there is still in life and to feed upon that. Learn. Create. Grow.
Rant off.
Photo: iPhone 10, @LeisaHammett.com
