In Our Separateness, We are Together on this Path

While each person's circumstances are different, the unknown and unpredictable nature of our global health crisis is manifesting in generalized anxiety. Let's see what we can do to mitigate the heaviness of this energy and lift the vibrational frequency of the world to help everyone deal with this more effectively.

Major changes call for major questioning of our lives and how we live it. Prior to the home quarantines, schedules were spiraling out of control and we took the simple things for granted, like being able to eat in a restaurant. The pandemic calls into question our goals, how we manage our lives, societal norms, and our ability to adapt and be resilient.

In stressful times, I use one of my favorite lines from Heartbreak Ridge with Clint Eastwood as a gunnery sergeant trying to train a group of rebellious Marines. In that gruff voice, he takes them through training while using a mantra designed to motivate and get them through challenges. It is an actual United States Marines motto that, to me, is more like a mantra, to help them deal with physical, mental, and spiritual hardship. Improvise, adapt, and overcome. We can apply the simplicity and strength of this phrase to practically any stressful situation. It gives us action steps that allow us to get through hard times.

Our social separation and mandatory quarantines and business closings emphasize that we don't have control over the external world right now. It calls us to improvise and manage without having had the chance to prepare for this. We need to use the resources available to us in new ways and to be satisfied with what we have.

Instead of stressing over what you can't do in this circumstance, ask yourself what you can do to adapt to the new circumstances. There are tools and ways of being that allow for an easier passage through challenging times. We must change to fit the new situation rather than pine for an old way of being.

By doing these two things, we can overcome difficulties by seeing the situation with a fresh perspective. How we define success in this situation is an individual exercise. It may be to survive financially until viable work can be had. It may be to maintain a certain level of supplies while we wait out the quarantine. It may be that maintaining health is the barometer of success. It may be all of the above. And it can also be deeper than simply survival. As individuals, overcoming in this sense does not mean squashing the virus itself, unless you're a scientist with that type of focus. For our purposes, it's about the deeper work of overcoming fear and doubt, and of maintaining faith that the situation will shift again.

We may see permanent changes in the way society functions, like with hygiene and overall health practices. At the same time, we have the opportunity to create change within ourselves that get us farther along in our journey of self-discovery. Check-in with yourself to see what fears may bubble up. Whether it's our current social separation scenario or something else, go from external concern to inner centeredness. Walk through this difficult time with grace, knowing that there are learning opportunities held in every experience. Use this time to read more, rest more, and take care of the things in your home you normally don't get to do.

Be prepared, but not anxious. Plan ahead but don't despair. At this time, some aspects of your life become more pronounced while others are diminished. This is a time of focus and reassessment to discover what's important. Adjust your methods of staying connected and be grateful that there are viable alternatives. We'll get to the other side of this in time. How much time, no one knows, since Divine timing is a mystery. Have faith that the world and societal changes that come from this grand shift have a purpose and are guiding us toward greater understanding. The insights we gain during this time point the way to the future.

Nothing stays the same and change can happen suddenly, as with the energies of Uranus in an astrology chart. It calls us to have faith and move through the challenge by forming new ways of thinking, always with faith in the Universe that we will get to the other side of the situation. We can't predict when, but it inevitably changes again. As the wheel turns, the situation shifts and morphs, creating long- and short-term modifications to our way of living and being.

Asking why this is happening can only be answered by the Divine. Asking what can I do to make the most of this experience is essential to manage your situation now and going forward. The global challenge we face today affects each person differently. Tap into your own intuitive guidance to see what your unique message and situation calls for. Distractions have been removed. Use this time to dream into your new life.

The world is morphing into the next phase of becoming, and we are shifting along with it. The way we approach the new situation must change along with the grand shift that's happening. Resisting is fruitless. Flowing with it, improvising where needed, and creating a way of being that fits your unique needs is an effective approach to dealing with the situation we find ourselves in.

There are many who were having a loss of faith prior to the pandemic, and many more feel that way now that things have intensified. In our separateness, we are together on this path. It's a time for conservation of resources, creative problem solving, and gratitude that we have the means to stay connected through this period of physical isolation. Cooperate with local authorities, care for each other, and communicate so we can all get through this together.

Your response to this time of social separation reflects your fears, your faith, and/or your openness to change. Choosing to support your local restaurants by ordering takeout (if this is viable based on your local guidelines), staying in touch with loved ones by phone or computer, checking in on elderly neighbors, and cooperating with CDC and the WHO guidelines are some things you can do right now as we wait to see which direction this situation takes us. It's a time of transformation, of the self and of society. It can make us more resilient in the face of change.

This is a time to go within, get our internal house in order while we also get our structural house in order. Remove all clutter and allow positive chi to move through the space to keep it clear. Open the windows. Use sage, prayer, and/or white light to bless your home and lift your spirits. Lighter energy is healthier. Let go of the fear and the heaviness that goes along with it.

While there are worrisome circumstances that go along with COVID-19, remember that the unpredictable nature of this situation can also lead us to a new beginning that may better position us for the future. We may begin to see the beauty in the world differently. We may stop taking things for granted and instead be grateful for the simple things. We may take a breath and be in the moment rather than rushing from one thing to the next. We may reconnect with those in our lives on a different level.

Pray for guidance as you move through your unique path of this global illness. What wisdom is held for you as you assess your personal situation? How does this new reality bring forward issues that need to be addressed? Have you become complacent in making necessary changes? Now you have the time to ponder the bigger questions that affect your life and your personal growth. It's important to keep up with the latest guidance and news for your area, but then turn it off and focus on your unique situation and ultimate goals. The quarantine will end, and you'll be ready for what comes next.