Due to the unprecedented event of Corona Virus, many people have been forced to stay at home. There have been many responses to that. Some have said it is driving them up the wall (especially if they have children!) and others have said boredom has set in fast. There are also others who actually lead very solitary lives and hardly go out such that self-isolation is merely a new way of describing their lives.
This event has impacted our lives in either a minute or massive way. It could have caused ‘minor adjustment’ or ‘major disruption’. It has forced us out of our normal patterns and pushed into unfamiliar situations such that our normal habits and daily actions are challenged.
Minus all the negative aspects of this unfortunate situation, I believe a perfect opportunity has arisen. This is an opportunity that many have possibly craved for but could not realise it due to ‘normal living’. That is finding time for yourself.
This is a perfect opportunity to set aside time and learn more about yourself. It has been said that All knowledge leads to Self-knowledge. Many times, we do not give ourselves the time to listen to our voice within us, acknowledge our inner wisdom and understanding our deepest fears. When we hear the voice within us, we can truly know what we want from life and us. When we respectfully acknowledge our inner wisdom, we can find answers and inspirations that have eluded us for so long. When we honestly understand our fears, we can start to conquer them and live our lives fully.
You may be terrified and loathe spending time on your own for two reasons.
Firstly, you do not really like yourself. You may have low self-esteem and the inner conversation you have with yourself is far from healthy. You prefer to get distracted by being with others, caring for others and focusing on others so you can avoid yourself. There really is no need. We are all born perfect and beautiful, exactly how we should be. Self-discovery is just that. Adults are deteriorated children. It is more of reminding ourselves how beautiful we are before we acquired all the negative emotions along the journey we call ‘life’. It will take time and patience. It is like when you have a new dog, you think he is going to behave in one way but he does his own thing. It is only through time you discover that he is perfect, behaving in a way that is perfectly him.
Be patient with yourself, be generous with yourself and most importantly, learn to forgive yourself. You may find that falling in love with yourself may be the most rewarding and gratifying relationship ever. I am not talking about narcissistic love. I am referring to achieving profound self-respect, self-worth and self-love. It is of utmost importance because I guarantee you that the longest relationship you will ever have with anyone in your life is yourself. Make it an amazing one!
Secondly, you may want to but not know how. This is slightly easier to resolve for knowledge is in abundance through books and Google, etc. A simple way to start would be to keep a journal. Writing down your thoughts, your dreams, your fears, your daily wins or losses is a great way to acknowledge yourself. When we write, we involve approximately 40,000 nerve cells to enable that action of transferring a thought, stimulating nerves and muscles to hold a foreign object to create marks on a surface that we call ‘words’. By realising a formless abstract thought into a physical form does wonders for our mind. It lets our mind know and feel that it is being listened to. We all seek to be understood and the first step is being listened to. Persist with it for at least 66 days to see the difference. This may open your mind and lead to other ways for self-discovery.
Grab this opportunity and allow it to work for you. You ROCK and you know it!