"You must be the change you want to see in the world."
1. New life
Why was Mahatma Gandhi wise and insightful during a time his people suffered under British rule? His heart was full of compassion, non-attachments, and a real understanding of suffering. We may not be able to wake up one day and think like Gandhi, but we are closer to understanding our fragile existence and taking it more seriously. It is how we embrace the loss and then change by looking for ways to adapt while giving birth to a new life. If we look towards the wisdom of great leaders like Gandhi, their insights are clues to our survival. "As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world – as in being able to remake ourselves."
2. Small things
During grief, how can we capture the small things in life and create a lasting remedy for the soul. "Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things." Life is made up of moments from all levels of experiences. Think about the times you were in awe and filled with contentment by being outdoors with only the clothes on your back and the natural environment engulfing you in its beauty and simplicity. Your material world suddenly didn't matter at that moment.
Remember the happy moments, even if they pass you quickly. If we feel we are on a roller coaster that we can't exit, remember the rides going up towards happiness, and let go of the trips heading down. This to will pass. The road to peace comes in our little moments, but it never lasts for as long as we are human. If we accept this fate and we look at life in minutes rather than weeks, months years, we could lead more peaceful lives even during a time of turmoil. Knowing peace will return to us someday creates a sense of hope that is real because minutes are short but add up to many happy weeks, months, and years in a lifetime.
One person alone can not change the sudden trajectory by steering in the right direction; we need a team by our side. Each one of us can work together. The instructions to save humanity are straightforward to implement. Those who can't learn to be in more solidarity, embrace the simplicity of home and family life, may not survive the long haul. We are all being asked to adapt regardless of who you are and what you have accomplished in life. A storm this great with significant uncertainty requires us to flatten the curve together to prevent a much larger toll on our economy and human-beings. If we want to be here for the simple pleasures of tomorrow, don't play Russian Roulette today.
5. Love bigger
If we have trouble caring for others because we find them offensive, off-putting, not fitting the way we want, our suffering will continue to increase after we come out of the woods. Each one of us is here to evoke innovative ways of living on our planet together. If those ideas do not fit your construct, try something radical and love wider than you thought you could. See each human being in a body and mind they did not choose. Perhaps when this terrible storm passes, more open-mindedness will happen and allow us not to be defined by things but the simple acts of kindness.
*Pictured Above: While visiting Omaha Beach, France, we watched a beautiful sunset. The appreciation and gratitude in the simplicity of what nature offered that evening gave our entire family a feeling of richness at that moment.
The Stymied Optimist asks to please comment on poor grammatical errors if you see any? Feedback and suggestions are always welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for your kindness!
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