Is It Your Time for a Gentle Next Step?

Especially for many of you in the northeast, this has been a rough bunch of weeks with one nor’easter after the next. While our home had heat, water and power, many of our friends and neighbors weren’t so lucky. People were displaced and frustrated. When the basics of life that we rely on and frankly often take for granted, are no longer available, everything about daily living becomes more challenging. Our equilibrium is disturbed. Figuring out which steps to take next feels overwhelming.

Last week, I attended Amy Reyer’s wonderful workshop on meditation, mindfulness and attentional intelligence. Several of the people in the class had been or knew people that were affected by the storm. Some felt anxious about returning home to uncertainty due to the storm. One of the ideas from the workshop that stuck with me was “patient attention.” What we pay attention to and cultivate manifests in our lives. That could be compassion, relationships or anything. The more we pay attention to that thing, the more it grows. The other idea discussed was that attention is a skill. Meditation helps cultivate that skill.

So how does this relate to next? In times of stress(be it storms, loss of loved ones, or health challenges), we need to be gentle, patient and kind to ourselves. We can focus our attention in that positive way. That will look and feel different for each person. Take the time you need to let next unfold slowly. Clarity will come.

A Gentle Next Step

Are you gentle with yourself during challenging times? What helps you take next steps? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!