As we’ve just celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States and are heading into the Christmas season, I am reminded of the importance of gratitude. Remembering the good things you might ordinarily take for granted is especially important when our lives (and in some cases, our wallets) are impacted by the threat of coronavirus and all that entails.
Some of us have had horrific experiences this past year with losing jobs, businesses, loved ones, or at least sleep due to worrying about ourselves or people we love. Others have been impacted by racial and economic injustices or the impact of climate change-induced fires, storms, and related catastrophes. And no matter what side you were on, the election year itself was certainly not free of trauma that is likely to have an ongoing impact that touches all of our daily lives for years to come.
One of the practices I was reminded of recently that might help is to get into a meditative state and ask for guidance about what benefits or gifts could come from whatever you have gone through or what we have gone through as a collective. I’ve done this more than once myself and feel quite confident that the veils that have been shredded about the inequities in our country and political process (for example) needed to happen to wake people up and impel us to make change (and to know what change needs to be made). In my personal life I have woken up to choices I made due to early life trauma that have impacted my finances ever since, and I’ve already made changes to rectify that situation. And I’ve made note of the emotional challenges that arise as I move forward because, certainly, knowledge is helpful, but insight without healing won’t take us quite as far.
As you move through your own end of year processes, be aware that we’re not over with this awakening. Most of us are still dealing with the shock of how much illusion has clouded our vision and it will take a while to sort out fact from fiction. So let pandemic restrictions serve as a time to regroup and catch our collective breath. May we be led forward from this period with grace and a new respect for the importance of love and caring for ourselves, our families, our loved ones and communities. Even for the world itself.
