I have begun a new morning practice. It takes but a moment yet, I already feel its impact.
As soon as I awaken, before I get out of bed and begin my morning rituals, I say a little mantra to myself:
“Staying home matters. It is my contribution to help heal the world.”
And then I take a couple of deep breaths and get up out of bed to begin my day.
I am very specific about my language. For example, I do not say, “I am doing my part to fight Covid.”
Fighting suggests a battle, and I do not believe ‘fight’ language is conducive to creating the necessary changes we need to create better in the world, let alone peace of mind and a gentle heart within to help us navigate these times. We’ve had enough fighting, greed, abuse to last our lifetime. In fact, if we don’t do something different, if we don’t turn our thoughts from ‘fighting’ one another to collective caring for one another, we risk losing the battle of our lives on planet earth.
Saying, ‘let’s fight Covid’ is kind of like saying, ‘let’s fight climate change.’
It isn’t climate change we need to fight, or even can fight. We can activate our collective power and will to change our ways so that climate change does not continue to create devastation around the world. As the saying goes, ‘You cannot change the wind. You can change the set of your sails.’
Which brings me back to my morning mantra.
I need to say it for my mental health. Every morning. I need to remind myself that staying home is an act of empowerment. It makes a contribution. If staying home matters and I am actively engaged in staying home, then I matter too.
See, I’ve been feeling a bit helpless. A bit like a bump on a log.
Unfortunately, that also means the inner critter is taking the opportunity to leap into the fray and hiss silly incantations of self-destructive possibilities at me. You know, things like, “It’s okay to go out to the store and to do whatever you want. I mean really, Louise. You’re in day 54 of self-isolation. You deserve a break.”
I try to tell him that Covid isn’t taking a break but the critter mind doesn’t care. When he senses my feelings of being disgruntled and unsettled, he only wants ACTION — any kind of action will do so long as it eases the strain of my disquiet. Unfortunately, his idea of action includes things that cause more harm than good. Like checking the news every few minutes, charting the statistics, reading doomsday articles and allowing myself to slip into overwhelm.
It also means he’s been rather vocal with his exhortations that I ‘Do something.’
Of course, being a whiner, the critter mind doesn’t actually know what the ‘something’ is. He doesn’t come with solutions or ideas. He just arrives in a cloud of self-criticism and complaints about how I am not doing enough, along with his litany of faults that destroy my peace of mind and sense of worth, if I let them.
Which is why I have chosen to create a morning mantra that reminds me that I am doing something that matters.
After several days of repeating my mantra when I awaken, I am finding it a powerful tool to battle the ennui and despair that, if left untended, threatens to creep into my body and invade my well-being with every breath.
“Staying home matters. It is my contribution to help heal the world.”
Say it with me.
“Staying home matters. It is my contribution to help heal the world.”
Repeat often.
And breathe.
Yup. Breathe.
Calm, measured breaths.
Breathe.
A calm you creates a calm world all around you. That calmness ripples out into the world creating waves of peace and harmony.
Keep breathing. Keep repeating.
“Staying home matters. It is my contribution to help heal the world.”
Thank you for doing your part in helping to heal the world. Together, we make a difference.
And I’d love to hear any daily practices you’ve initiated to create harmony, joy, peace in your mind, heart and world.
Namaste.
Dare Boldly 
Staying home matters ! Staying in one’s primary residence matters!
I just returned from our every two week grocery and essentials shopping. Just me, MM drives, pops open the trunk, stays away from EVERYONE because he is over 80. What you don’t know is the battle I have with my inner self to psyche myself up to do that shopping. I have fine-tuned my schedule to go when there is no one or almost no one in the store. If even one person is lined up outside, I just keep moving on. Now, if we could get away without eating, then I too could stay home. We are trying to now go three weeks, except for veg and fruit. Fingers crossed it works for staying home really does matter.
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LOL – get away without eating! haha! What would I do with all my spare time without cooking! 🙂 Do you plan your meals out in a weekly schedule? Every three weeks is impressive.
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I have not gotten to the point of planning a schedule of weekly meals. If I do, shoot me! That would be too much structure in my normal orderly chaotic life. I am still at the “let’s see what the fridge and/or freezer gods have to offer” and then, hopefully, a light bulb goes one and something edible appears at the dinner table. So far, MM has not complained. And there have been instances when I thought I was making a dish and it turned out into something completely unrelated to my original intent.
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Haha! I know what you mean about the ‘something completely unrelated’. I too loathe the idea of planning our meals out! I mean, really, where’s the adventure in culinary delight when it’s all planned out! 🙂
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As you know from my posts, I feel guilty. It’s so easy to stay home. Like really easy. I miss some people but less so than I would have anticipated (it’s just my kids and grandkids that leave a hole). I feel like I’m not doing enough. I was actually thinking about volunteering with the health region but… I have a close friend who is going through cancer right now and I am her go to person. Her severe anxiety makes life a challenge and I’m a steady fence to lean on. So that’s my Covid contribution.
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I find it easy to stay home too Bernie — challenge is, easy or difficult, it’s the ‘not doing enough’ chatter that gets in my way of peace of mind – which is why I have to frame it for myself in language that acknowledges how important it is.
I’m with you — being there for your friend is so very important. She’s very fortunate to have a ‘fence’ like you.
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such a beautiful mantra, thank you for sharing Louise!
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Thank you Wendi. Many hugs.
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🙂 You are very welcome – God bless you and yours.
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Staying home is the sensible thing to do and its making a big difference to the world, I am coping just finebut not a big difference for me
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It is making a difference Joanne! And we are part of that difference making. ❤
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Love how you have turned a passive into an active! We tend to think of being proactive as something that must involve getting Off our butts. Well, at this time it’s the staying on our butts that counts! But I know what you mean about the need to Do. What I Do is contribute groceries and money each week to a nearby feeding program for people in need. So there are other ways to make a difference. Even from a distance.
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Love what you’re doing Amanda! You are making a difference. ❤
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Thank you, and I agree with you about the choice of language- all the ‘fighting talk’ seems wrong somehow. Maybe we could rather stand back and make friends with this scourge in some way, if we are to learn any lessons from it.
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