Can you treat this new world as a new friend?

Think about it. You meet someone new. Sometimes there’s an instant connection and you know you’re going to be great friends. Other times the personalities just don’t mesh. Maybe they’re a bit too strident. Perhaps you have nothing in common. You’re absolutely certain you’re never going to connect with them. Then, for any variety of reasons, you spend time together. Slowly you begin to see redeeming qualities not first apparent. There are new experiences and opportunities. Different perspectives are brought to light. You see the unique gifts they bring to the table. And with time you begin to appreciate about them what you thought you never would.

I’ve been spending a lot of time with this new friend. We were thrust together by circumstance. We are still becoming acquainted. I’m adapting, figuring out how to navigate this new relationship and accept the changes it brings. And in spite of our rocky start, I am appreciating that there are unique gifts being presented at this time. My days are less hectic. There is time to connect more often with family and friends. Random acts of kindness are occurring at prolific rates. Mother Nature brings flowers, blooming trees and frolicking animals even as she herself is receiving much needed healing. I’m spending more time in meditation and focusing on self-care. (More about that next week.)

In Thrive Global, Sarah Holliman asks “Will we remember this as the period when time stood still…or will we remember it as the era when the human side of humanity took center stage, when we became better people?” It’s a time for us to think about who we are, and who we can become as friends…leaders … parents…people. We can find a new way of being - one that is more compassionate, caring, thoughtful and kind.

During times of heightened stress, it’s only natural to find it harder to navigate and communicate with others. But as we notice our own reactions, we can begin to pause before things escalate in a way we didn’t want or intend. “As we become more mindful of difficult emotions, we reinforce neural pathways that help us remember to pause when we’re in the heat of an emotion.” 

Don’t dwell on the aggravations. Reach out with compassion to this new world - this new friend. Allow yourself to find calm within the chaos.

“Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”