Was 2020 a curse?
When people make New Year’s resolutions, they often say, “New Year, New Me,” referring to fresh starts. In 2021 we see less talk about making changes because many feel that 2020 was a curse that is not over. Research showed that, since the start of the pandemic, 40% of Americans reported mental health issues, with 11% of American adults seriously considering suicide. Loneliness, loss of jobs, struggling businesses, devasting numbers of deaths, health challenges, and isolation contributed. It was also a challenging year to watch all the dysfunction of our government and media coverage.
Being with the discomfort may be a blessing.
I was impressed to see family and friends initiate self-care. I’m not talking about masks and hand sanitizer. Many stopped watching and reading all the toxic news and blocked people spewing their anger on social media to protect their health.
Anger is a fear-based emotion the same as loss that many were feeling. Overcoming fear requires the expansion of individual consciousness and perceptions. Looking at the state of affairs before the pandemic, Americans were suffering fatigue from busy schedules, no downtime from social media, and poor diets, causing anxiety and depression to rise. The real fear was not from loss of freedom. Waking up to unconscious routines is a blessing to get centered and reduce unnecessary stress causing fears.
Finding the gift in 2020
As a copper toxicity survivor, I have experience with minimizing stress because it raises copper. During the shelter-in-place, I didn’t focus on loss or loneliness. Instead, I took advantage of my new government-imposed circumstances to work on my development. Rather than creating a new me, my goal was to return to that fun, innocent energy from my youth. The younger photo of me above was a great remembrance of a time when I rolled with change and faced fear head-on. I used this photo to tap into that self and not allow others’ discomfort to influence me.
“Fear is nothing more than an obstacle that stands in the way of progress” -Annoynomus.
As I spent time alone with my thoughts and emotions, I felt a sense of freedom in letting go of old habits and behaviors. It is natural to fear change because, on the surface, it can look negative. But it creates space to be open for new growth. We are the creators of our lives, and it is up to us to deal with change in a constructive way. The truth is no one was losing their independence, only habitual activities that busied their body and mind.
Connecting with my soul self
While in isolation, I joined an online spiritual group to learn how to connect with my soul self. Being a part of a like-minded group created positive change for me. It helped me improve my meditation practice with breathing exercises and identify limiting beliefs that had built blocks. Opening my heart helped me find the benefits of isolation. Like not dining out became a fun time in the kitchen to prepare healthy meals. Also, more time at home allowed me to complete projects and get caught up on reading.
Gratitude for growth
Expansion of self is an ongoing practice of mine. I admit that I fell into living a pseudo-life with busy, numbing, and even self-sabotaging distractions like everyone else.
Focusing on returning to my truth has been a gift from 2020. I finally peeled away the layers that held strong unmovable beliefs and kept me from being me. Some of the layers came from pleasing others and not setting boundaries. Other dormant layers imprinted from trauma or something as innocent as a comment that impaired self-expression. I’m grateful for the time to be still that resulted in rebirth and returning to a freer authentic life.
Being You = Freedom
Sometimes we have to step back to observe where the discomfort is coming from to move forward on our paths. I know that pain and suffering feelings are direct signs or information that I am resisting my true self. Take some time to find an old photo of yourself where you felt more at ease. Then get still and peel back the layers to connect with your soul self. Don’t be surprised if simplifying your life and embracing your truth makes it easier to get through this next phase, with many fearing to vaccinate or not to vaccinate.
Many blessings for returning to your truth and living without fear. ❤️