For the first time in many years, the world is facing a difficult time together. No region or country has escaped this virus. And it seems that everyone has a story to tell about how this event has altered his or her life, made it more difficult, and created additional stress. It seems that we are living the old saying, “misery loves company.” And it has become all too easy to wallow in our global “condition.”
But I am also reminded of another familiar saying, “we are never given more than we can handle.” And while this thought is more faith-based, I believe that it is also widely accepted and believed in a general sense. Each of us is stronger than we know. And you never discover your true inner strength until you are forced to call on it for your own survival.
In the coming weeks, each member of humanity is being forced to look inside ourselves. We are all searching. Searching for answers, strength, wisdom, compassion, empathy, and so much more that is needed to navigate this new and treacherous part of our journey. But we must all remember that with great challenges come great rewards. And those who find it in their hearts to be the good neighbor, the good friend, and the good member of society will be rewarded with experiences and gifts that might never have been possible in the world that was our norm.
Right now, it might feel as if the earth is literally closing in around you. You feel pressure from all sides and angles. But you have the strength in your heart to resist the almost overpowering urge to crumple. It’s there if you search for it. Think of yourself as a piece of coal. The earth is trying to crush you, but you are resisting. You are not dragged down by the pressure. Instead, you ride it up until you reach the surface and emerge a glistening diamond. You will survive because you have become one of the strongest substances on the planet.
Beautiful piece. Yes, we are, we are the strongest and we will survive this. Every human on this planet is learning something new about themselves thanks to the implication of COVID 19. If it’s something you don’t like, make a change. If you love what you found, find ways to improve it and continue doing the good. Please stay safe and healthy.
Yes, Kathy, I agree with Annelise, this is a beautiful piece. You are able to say a lot in few words—quite a rare gift. Just now getting to it because of so many e-mails from family and friends far and wide, and many other websites offering help, messages of hope, resilience, creative ways to help others. Even though I am at home and have been for two weeks, my days are full with time on my computer and time catching up on projects I’ve not had the time to complete before now. We are strong and we will survive and hopefully learn from this unprecedented time in history. I feel we who are alive right now are very fortunate, blessed, to be living at this time. We all have an opportunity to do what we can to awaken ourselves and help others, not by preaching but by how we live our days, what we do with our time, resources and energy to help. I feel it’s a time to come to consciousness about who we are and why we are here.