Dear ,
I wish I would write this newsletter in different times, but then – if times were different, I would not write this same newsletter.
Viktor Frankl said: “Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.”
For most of us, who were born after WW2, the present situation may be the very first time when this quote is something that does not only apply to some, but to all of us.
No matter if we are well off or existentially endangered, we all can feel that – beyond conspiracy facts or theories and spiritual interpretations – each one of us is called personally, deep inside, by this crisis.
China is the country where the virus showed up first. And in the Chinese language the character for the word “crisis” is made of two syllables – one meaning “danger” and the other one “chance”.
In a traumatic situation like this present one it is natural to first react with fear and insecurity and to go through different stages of anxiety and grief – but the question is: Do we give up our freedom to choose? Do we remember our freedom to choose in all this turmoil?
Let’s repeat with Viktor Frankl: “We have a freedom to choose how we will respond to the situation.” And he knew what he was talking about as survivor of the holocaust, a situation that even the most miserable of the readers of this newsletter is not able to imagine.
Which part of the crisis do YOU choose? “Danger” or “Chance”?
If you choose “Danger”, you will focus on the news that raise panic and all kind of horror scenarios that we might meet in future. You might develop all kind of avoidance strategies and phantasies of more bad things to happen. And you will find more and more reasons to be scared, discouraged and hopeless.
If you choose “Chance” it does not mean that you are blind or lack awareness. But it does mean that you focus on the good things that are still there, on the positive things that are still part of your life. You might start by being grateful for everything you took for granted until now – the roof above your head, your home (although it might be small), heating, simple food, your backyard or garden, the birds that still sing despite the world going crazy, nature that does not stop to create and renew independently from what happens around, your family, your children, your health – and many other things.
It could be great to take a piece of paper and write every day three things you are grateful for. In the beginning it might be difficult, but with time it will flow and you will discover things that you did not even think about because they were so obvious.
If you are alone in your home due to the lockdown or quarantine – did you ever think about that you are in good company? Look in the mirror – who do you see? Yourself, yes! Did you ever have such an amazing chance to get to know yourself? And I mean really get to know yourself and appreciate that you are there? Try it out – look in a mirror and discover yourself. Tell yourself what you appreciate, what you love, and maybe tell yourself what you are sorry for. It might make you laugh or feel embarrassed, or it might make you sad and bring you to tears. No matter what – it might be an incredible chance to really connect to your "Self" for the first time.
Choosing “Chance” means opening new perspectives, trusting in the process of life and being open for its gifts – gifts that usually come in tiny packages such as a word, a book, a new contact, an idea, an online workshop, a conversation, any kind of inspiration. This slowing down of our daily pace makes it much easier to open up to all this, if we allow it.
Yes, we can choose – and most of all we can choose of how we want to live and proceed after everything “goes back to normal”. What about our values, our belief patterns, our stories, our expectations? What do we really need and what is ready to be sorted out? The time to change is not “then”, when everything is over, but “now”, in this space where the earth starts breathing again.
My latest video talks about this - you will find the link at the bottom of the newsletter.
I wish you from my heart that in a year’s time you will look back and see the gifts that this crisis has granted you and harvest the fruits.
I am wishing you a creative, courageous and blessed month of April and I am sending you my best wishes
In the spirit of LOVE and RECONCILIATION
Ursula
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