If we feel like our world’s been turned upside-down, what might give us the strength to keep holding on?
When our “normal” doesn’t seem “normal” anymore, we might have more endurance than we think to move forward.
What is “normal” anyway? Is it the same for everyone? Each of us may have a different answer. What feels significant about this?
A usual weekday might mean waking up early and sitting in traffic, whether we’re heading to work or being taken to school. For others, a regular day may mean traveling around town running a variety of errands. Some of us may be sitting home most days. These are only a few simple routine examples.
Has it always been one way for each of us or might we remember a variety of modifications during our lifetimes?
Currently, a usual day for some of us may be logging in to an online office, classroom, or store. Some of us may be virtually visiting those we care about on video calls rather than in person.
How many people say they can’t wait for things to go back to normal? If we remember any of those varied times we’ve experienced, which normal might we want to get back to?
Change happens every day in some form or another, so how might we recognize what normal looks like? How might this look different for each individual? What seems significant about this?
Last year was ‘normal’ the same as we perceived it to be the year before? What might have been different? What was significant about the change? Which parts of the modification might have been beneficial?
Let’s contemplate the following account:
A close family friend shared her transformed ‘normal’ story. Almost two years ago (before the pandemic), around this time of year this senior couple was actively enjoying retirement traveling, dining out, and visiting friends and family. For them, every day was a special occasion. They’d been married 65+ years and have always done everything together. Unexpectedly in the fall of last year, the husband took ill from an unidentified infection in his leg and was taken to the hospital. They’d been forced to be significantly less active over the six previous months; that felt like nothing compared to the separation from each other that they endured due to pandemic restrictions after a lifetime of being side-by-side. Their world was turned upside-down and their inner strength and love for each other kept them going. They spoke to each other multiple times a day. Being in the hospital kept him cut off from all those he loved and cared about. She kept herself busy with home projects, visits with a few family members and friends, and had a complete support system virtually while she waited for her husband to come home. They hoped to return to the previous ‘normal’; what mattered most to them was to be together. Their inner strength kept them holding on to this upside-down world. Whatever normal would become was not as important to them as their desire to be back together. Things never did go back to how they were before and they got to be back together for a brief time.
What feels imperative to take away from this strong couple and their story? Let’s think about it.
So, what might we want normal to look like? How might we be able to find what can feel ordinary in the seemingly obscure?
Scheduling “ME” time may have felt incomprehensible in what used to feel normal and now may feel even less possible.
When might it feel like the best time to use our inner power to take great care of ourselves?
If we’re not certain how to tap into that inner strength, how might it feel to ask for support?
How might planning just a little “ME” time nudge our inner strength closer to the surface to help us hold on as things change and the world feels upside-down? What might feel vital about this?
Today is “ME” Monday®. The more we nurture the “ME” we want to be, the more we can cultivate our core foundation to face every day with confidence no matter how “normal” varies.
By implementing a “ME” Monday® routine today, we can improve our overall ROI to have a great today and determine the tomorrow we deserve!