Right now, we are subject to fewer distractions. Take away the computer, phone, books and what are we left with? The sun coming through the window, the sound of the kettle boiling, the taste of breakfast in our mouths and, often - the sound of our busy, confused minds.
It can be lonely, bleak, even overwhelming: Where do I start with all this space? What do I do with all this extra time, all this opportunity? How can I live with this level of uncertainty? How do I relax when I don’t know when I will be able to work again or next get to hug my friends and extended family?
We wish for healing, for happiness, for freedom but we cannot get there without first letting go of this incessant need to be in control, to have all the answers. Maybe it will blow over in a month, maybe a year, maybe never… It is all wasted energy speculating or trying to pin down some reassurance. What we have instead, is far greater. it is the perfection held in the present moment, a gift that we constantly, without realising, reject or ignore time and time again because we are stuck obsessing about the past or future.
Surrender.
What we are going through now is tough. Yes there will be bleakness or despair, fear, disappointment, but our prayers will be answered if we simply ride it out, noticing along the way, each moment as they rise and fall with each breath. And learning from how each of these moments are paving the way for a better life for us all. A more aware life, a more conscious life. A life of appreciation, contentment and celebration.
As quoted by the wonderful Tara Brach:
‘Every thing you are going through now is preparing you for what you prayed for’
