-Find Peace Amidst the Chaos:

In the early days of the quarantine, I found myself constantly reflecting on what I should have been doing that day. Some of my thoughts included: “My kids and I should have been leaving for spring break today.”  “I should have been driving my son to hockey practice right now.”  “I should be planning parties rather than cancelling them.”

Prior life experiences have taught me that the “should haves” will keep me stuck in a place of lacking and wanting, and will disallow me from enjoying what I am able to do. Accepting the situation for what it is allows us to flow with the direction life is taking us. Close the gap between where you are and where you thought you should be.

When we process life as it is, rather than as we thought it should be, we open ourselves up to discover moments of peace. And yes, admittedly the current pandemic is challenging many people on several fronts right now, but tremendous growth is possible when we practice acceptance and make strides to find peace amidst the chaos.

Here in an excerpt from my book, SOAR:

“I can confidently say that nobody’s life turns out exactly as planned. I don’t think anybody would disagree with that. Regardless of who you are or how skilled of a planner you are, everyone experiences things that are unexpected. When this happens, we always have a choice to either resist the change or flow with it. The goal in any situation should be to make peace with where you are and flow with the current. Until you have learned how to accept that where you are is precisely where you should be, you will be living in a constant state of resistance. You will never be able to absorb and enjoy the present moment because your mind will always be preoccupied with where you thought you should be. Resistance is exhausting and drains us of energy that could be directed into more productive and enjoyable initiatives.”

-Acknowledge That This Situation is Temporary:

Daily life is challenging right now. My kids are not able to go to school right now. I am juggling being a parent, a homework coach, a home chef, a housekeeper, and a spiritual life coach right now. I am carrying a heavy load right now.

There is limited clarity about the duration of the quarantine right now.

Do you see the common theme in the prior sentences? Yep….right now.

Keep reminding yourself that life isn’t always going to be this challenging. There won’t always be this much uncertainty. You won’t always be spread as thin as you may feel you currently are.  This too shall pass, and there are brighter days ahead. We may be in the midst of storms, but the sun always comes out again.

-Adopt a Gratitude Mindset:

Here is another excerpt from SOAR:

“Instead of giving attention to the gap between your current reality and the one that exists in your mind, take a moment to look around and appreciate all that you have. The goal is to close the gap. The point where each of us is in this very moment is precisely where we are meant to be. Nowhere else. Shifting into a gratitude mindset often is the point that starts the tsunami of positive thoughts. The more positive thoughts you think, the more momentum they will garner and you will eventually start to notice that energetically you feel lighter and happier and more accepting that where you are is where you are meant to be. Flow with the current of life and let the waves carry you.”

-Embrace Change:

It is completely normal to pine for our pre-quarantine life, when we had the liberties of running out to a store or restaurant, or hosting a gathering.

There is undeniably a grief and loss element as we feel the void of activities and luxuries that are not currently available to us. After we come to a place of acceptance, we must shift our gaze to what we are stepping into, rather than looking back on what we have left.

This exercise of re-framing puts us in the optimal mindset to take spiritually motivated action steps to manifest our future.

Here is another excerpt from SOAR:

“Once you make peace with the idea that life is a steady stream of changes, the way you handle change can be radically transformed. Rather than resisting it, learn to flow with it. We have a natural tendency to want to bask in the moments when life is wonderful, stress is at all-time lows, and resist change because we don’t want to see that phase of life come to an end. But, there is a natural rhythm to life. There are good times, followed by challenging times and eventually the good times return. That same ebb and flow continues ad infinitum. You must get to a place where you soak up whatever is in front of you right now, accepting that wherever you are is where you are meant to be. The secret is learning to flow with the change rather than resist it.”

-Focus on Opportunities:

Do you see the opportunity for growth? I do!

This is a pivotal moment in time, where we can step more fully into the world of living consciously. It’s a perfect opportunity to do a hard reset and design our reality in a way that supports connection with the Universe by adopting lifestyle practices that are in our highest good.

Make a list of all of the things you can do, and find ways to celebrate your new reality.

Here are some reflection questions:

• What types of activities am I engaging in now?
• How might I use this time to be more introspective and reflective?
• Are there any aspects of my current reality that feel simpler than before?
• What areas in my life need redesign?
• Which activities from my pre-quarantine life will I consciously leave behind because they didn’t serve me?
• What activities that enrich the mind, body, and spirit will I dedicate time to?
• How do I want to feel as I emerge from this period of quarantine?

-Believe, Trust, and Have Faith:

Situations as complex as the current pandemic often and understandably leave us feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and full of fear and uncertainty.

It is in our most challenging moments that we realize we can’t do this alone, and find that we have no choice other than to rely on a higher power. Take a deep breath. We are all in this together, and the world is coming together in a big way through acts of love, kindness, and generosity.

Trust the universe and its infinite knowledge and wisdom and believe that you will be taken care of. Surrender and let the winds carry you.