Finding Positivity In The Chaos

"It is not the situation but whether if we react negative or respond positive to the situation that is important."

 - Author unknown

Hello there friends!

 Welcome back to my blog! I want to thank you guys for being as excited as I am as I begin this wonderful blogging journey that I hope ends up turning into something big in the future. 

Now, I am sure you guys know about all of the craziness in the world right now and I am sure you guys are tired of hearing about COVID-19. Many of you are also in quarantine right now and it feels like you're about to rip your eyeballs out of your socket because you are so bored or your kids, spouse, dogs,whatever is running you up the wall!!!. Well, I am here to tell you that I am offering a break from that. I will not be discussing the virus or any aspects to it but rather am offering you an escape from a different perspective on how life is right now. 

Think about how different your life is right now compared to what it usually is. Whether you just got laid off from your job, your kids are home right now because school is closed, you're working from home if your company is allowing you to do so - whatever it may be. Think about all of the chaos happening to you personally right now. I want you to take a deep breath, unclench your jaw (bet you didn't know you were doing that,huh?) sit or lay firmly on the surface you're at, close your eyes and focus ONLY on your breathing. Let your lungs fill up with the oxygen, hold it for just a moment then let it out. I want you to only focus on filling your abdominal with the air, then slowly feel it leaving. I want you to do this for several moments. You will notice that outside thoughts will enter your mind which is fine - let them enter but then let them go and redirect your focus back to your breath.

Congratulations, you just practiced mindfulness!

The point of this exercise is I want you to be in the moment. I want you to be present with yourself and focus on what is taking place right this second as you are reading this post. I want you to be okay in your current situation right now.  You are probably dealing with so many curve balls in your life right now and are probably faced with so many decisions and you may not know which one to make.

Listen, that is okay.

I want you to recognize how strong you are. I want you to not beat yourself up. I want you to stop comparing yourself to others, stop comparing yourself to friends you see on the internet - JUST STOP! Stop comparing, stop wishing things were different. Just be. Be okay. Be okay that you are home right now no matter what is happening out there. Even if you're scared, even if you do not know what your next move will be - just be okay in your current state   I want you to recognize the good in this.

"Sarah, are you saying there is good in all of this craziness right now?!?!"

YES!!! I am a firm believer that there is GOOD IN EVERY BAD SITUATION that happens to us YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT.

I am not dismissing the seriousness on this situation or any other difficult situations because this is serious.

Think for a moment, did you ever in the past wished you had more time to spend with your kids, or time to clean out that cluttered cabinet you just haven't gotten around to because you have been so tired from your daily activities? Have you been wanting to slow down and have a pot of coffee in the mornings or do a morning work out? Now you have 'that time' that you were looking for or made an excuse saying you did not have. You can do these things right now and you can enjoy them! Are your kids driving you up a wall? Remember when you said you wish that you could spend more time with them? Now it's your opportunity to do so. You can spend your entire day with your children, your dogs, your spouse,ect.  

It is so easy to get caught up in how terrible things are that we overlook the good things that come from a bad situation. Listen, we do not get to pick what our blessings look like or how they will come to us. It just does not work that way. Sitting and dwelling about how horrible things are will not make you feel any better. Why waste so much energy by turning it into something negative when you can use it for productivity? If you sit and have a self pity party for yourself then you are not going to want to do get out of bed in the mornings and do anything!

Have you ever thought about what you prayed or wished for? Has it been patience? Productivity? Understanding? Being a more positive person?  NOW you can be all of these things you've hoped to be. Challenge yourself to stay patient through all of these difficult times, look for the positive in  every single day. Try that new recipe out that you've been wanting to try, read that book you have been wanting to read but just haven't gotten around to. Go organize that closet you have been putting off. During this time I hope that you see your value so much more than you ever have before and I hope you actually go and BE the things you have been hoping to be. Is it going to be easy? HECK NO! Anything worth having never comes easy, but you can work on getting there. 

Maybe you are on the opposite side of things and you are still working while having your children at home or trying to scramble to make meals or whatever it could be.. Listen to me, ASK FOR HELP and do not be ashamed or feel like you are being a burden by doing so because we are all going through it. 

You are allowed to struggle but what you are not allowed to do is sit in it. You are not allowed to dwell on it. You are not allowed to throw a 'poor me pity party' because guess what? We are all going through it. Your determination of who you are is how you show up in times of crisis.

For myself, I know my superpower is positvitiy. I am clinging to that positivity during these times and I am using it to shine a light on others who need it. 

I now challenge you to ask yourself what is my superpower and how am I using it to help others during this time?