Apr
05
2020
It IS okay
“Often it takes some calamity to make us live in the present. Then suddenly we wake up and see all the mistakes we have made.” —Bill Watterson, cartoonist and creator of Calvin and Hobbes
We often think in terms of the future even during the best of times, but certainly during the challenging times.
“When everything gets back to normal…”“I can’t wait to…”“What if….?”
I did this a lot during times I was deployed. I focused on everything I didn’t have. Fast food, flushing toilets, my own bed. This generated a lot of emotions, including sadness, frustration, impatience, and worry.
Here’s the problem: When we focus of the future, we miss the present.
Certainly, we don’t have everything we had, but there are blessings that have filled the void. This may include time to reconnect with family, being able to work from home, a slower pace of life, enjoying a hobby again, a renewed believe in people and the human spirit.
Instead of worrying if everything WILL be okay, pause and consider that everything IS okay. Some questions that may help:
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- What are you grateful for NOW?
- What do you appreciate about friends, family and co-workers NOW that you didn’t before?
- How have your priorities changed?
- What have you learned about yourself?
Instead of focusing of what we DON’T have, take a moment to consider all the things we DO have. If we take inventory of our current situation, we might find some things we misplaced over the years and realize everything IS okay.
