Perspective

Perspective… I think about how that word can give us some strength during this difficult time across the world.  How can our perspective help us cope, give us hope, make us stronger?  I was listening to several of my teachers who helped remind me that perspective is a choice.  We can choose to look at adversity as an opportunity to grow or we can choose to look at adversity as an opportunity to become paralyzed with fear.  I am choosing the former.  I realize that when life is positive, when things are going well we don’t take the time to learn.  We just accept it for what it is.  We feel good so we enjoy what is in front of us. But, when things are not going well we have a choice to stop and be present. Even with my REIKI training and knowledge of using the breath to ground myself, I don’t always remember to use it.  I have found that during this pandemic, surrounded by illness in my healthcare work environment I have allowed myself to, at moments, become paralyzed by the fear.  The fear of getting the disease myself. The fear of spreading it to my loved ones or co-workers or other patients.  The fear that this virus won’t go away.  The fear that we won’t have the necessary tools to adequately care for patients.  Living in that fear only challenges my own body’s immunity. It feeds the stress hormones in my body to be on alert. It keeps me in that that fight or flight reactive state.  But if i choose to shift my perspective to being present in the moment; Look at what is right in front of me; Keep focusing on my breathe and the work that I am trained to provide, I feel my power. I feel my connection to the work. I feel like a warrior.  So, I choose to shift my perspective to the present moment.  I am taking a breath. I am being connected totally to what is in front of me. It’s worth trying it.  You might feel better and might keep your whole self healthier because of it.