Amid pandemic and unrest, we wonder which stores, restaurants, salons, beaches, entertainment venues and communities remain closed and which ones are open. And to what extent?
So how might we benefit from turning those questions to ourselves for a bit, to create greater self-awareness and intention for the days ahead?
Closed or open – which one am I?
In what ways am I “closed,” and in what ways am I “open?”
Am I open – to listening to my inner voice above the noise of the world?
And.
Am I open – to choosing carefully the words I say to and about myself?
And.
Am I open – to accepting that life is and will be different now than just a few weeks ago?
And.
Am I open – to recognizing that all along, I’ve had less control of external circumstances than I thought?
And.
Am I open – to rethinking how I’ve always done it?
And.
Am I open – to creating a new way of doing and being in my life?
And.
Am I open – to tapping into my own deep knowing?
And.
Am I open – to being enough at this moment, in this time and place, to make a difference?
And.
Am I open – to accepting my own worthiness and the worthiness of others?
Resetting Expectations
When it feels like we’re going backwards, and I feel overwhelmed and ineffective to change the problems of the world, I eventually come to realize how important it is for me to reset my expectations from “how can this world be different” to “how can I be different?”
Going forward, how can I be different than I am?
I ask myself, in these moments of introspection and self-awareness, in what ways I am called to live differently today. Where am I stuck? How am I living on auto-pilot or in reactionary mode?
Where am I closed, and where am I open?
And what might be a better way than what I’m doing right now?
What are the words I use about myself and the situation? Do I choose disempowering words such as “should,” “ought to” and “have to,” or words that empower me such as “will” or “choose to?”
So how can I be different today in thought, word, and deed? And when I am, how might that ripple out to those closest to me? To my community, my nation, and maybe even to the world?
May it begin with me.
Hi! I’m Amy, an integrative health coach, offering grace and space for a healthier you. I help people create and sustain new habits that can improve their overall health and well-being. Click here if you’d like to work with me through coaching, and subscribe to my Well Check emails here.
