Reflections in a Pool of Circumstances

 

Life sometimes orchestrates a full stop in life.  We saw this during the pandemic where literally the whole world paused to see how to navigate the Corona Virus.  We sometimes have times in our own life that require a full stop to recover from.  And sometimes, if we are lucky, we can tell it is time to stop and reflect during these times to see what life is trying to call attention to.

I’ve had an ocean of circumstances in the last five months!  I had fractures in my vertebrae and spine (from coughing), my beloved dog Schuyler had foot surgery to remove a growth, our old car finally reached her useful end, I had a tooth extraction, and my dear friend is moving out of state!

What has allowed me to find peace of mind during all of this is the question I chose to reflect on.  “I wonder what new direction is required now?”  As I thought about that question, I knew immediately it was about finding a new way to work, one that allowed me to enjoy more time with my husband and dogs while allowing me to still work.

I’ve known this was ‘up’ for almost a year.  But I did not find the time to address it.  So, Life did!

During my recovery from all of this (which is almost complete.  Just PT to finish it all off!), I noticed I could be upset, frightened, in scarcity, and frustrated, or I could try a new perspective since this was not going to be a short recovery.  As I contemplated having compassion for myself (and my husband), I noticed there was less pain when I experienced that compassion.  And I noticed the halt to recovery was nice!  The meditative sense of not rushing, the time to invent and create, the closeness of friends and family…was what I was after!  Too bad it took a physical circumstance to achieve that.

As I re-enter the activities of life, I see how compelled I am to ‘go back to the way things were’, which almost immediately has me in pain again.  I often see this with clients who are out of work for longer than they wish, then when they do find work, they go back to how they used to work, and immediately know that old way is no longer viable.  And what sets in is confusion.  And a requirement to reflect.

So, I am learning to love the new slower pace, and the time to explore where the world wants me, not where I want to be. I am reminded that life is Love, and when we don’t experience Love, we are probably driving ourselves and/or judging others. 

And finally, my Schuyler has been my best role model during my recovery.  She had to be crated with a cone on her head for almost a month, and had to have a bag on her foot when she did go outside.  Further along in her recovery, she also had to have her foot soaked for 10 minutes, twice a day.  As I watched her, I noticed she did not complain.  She just thought things were new and odd, and she almost immediately got to work figuring out how to have fun in THESE circumstances! I appreciate her approach and have adopted that as my practice as well.

Try it on!  And remember, all the circumstances in life are ultimately designed for us to learn how to live our best life.  So, reflect, give it time, and see what shows up!