I used to wish that I was normal even in those moments when I wasn’t quite sure what being normal meant. Normal, for me, seemed to be stability, a respite from uncertainty, unconditional belonging. This normal seemed elusive.
But, I never stayed fixated on this “normal,” for long. Little successes and big dreams jolted me from the desire of that perceived normal and into a comfortableness with my own skin. I saw the ways that normal didn’t fit into my lifestyle. I liked the ways that I wasn’t quite normal.
Then Covid-19 happened. In an instant the door to the old normal slammed shut. The world changed in ways that I never would have imagined. There are some stressors for sure. But, there is a wide openness, a flexibility, an opportunity to draw from the center of our being. To be the person we were meant to be all along. To discover what normal means for each of us.
Now, I am not saying that these aren’t scary times. They are. Unless you are fortunate to have transitioned into a work-for-home situation, times are financially scary. If you have a pre-existing condition, times are medically scary. If you work in an essential job, each moment at that job brings the fear of uncertainty. But, then a voice says: Stop. These not-so-normal times are times of opportunity. Each of us is called us to gather our courage and face our fears.
Maybe, just maybe, that is what this new normal is about. Not spending our day yearning for what was, or in my case, what never was, but being courageous and curious in the midst of our fears. It is abut naming our fears and then discerning what is working. It is about being daring as we try new things. It is about responding with curious daring to the question, “This is the real and how am I going to live in it?”
For me, this new normal invites me to live in the real while being very aware of how illusion’s siren call attempts to seduce me into believing that things, at some point, will return to the way they were before. We don’t have the luxury of believing this. The only luxury we have is believing in ourself.
So, ask yourself, what are the little ways that you can find peace in these trying times? How does courage call you? How will you connect in ways that create a new normal? It can be as simple as asking for help or responding to a request for help. That help doesn’t mean you need to drain your bank account or do something that just isn’t you. For example,
- I asked a friend for a mask. She sent one.
- I sent a donation to a local animal shelter in response to their bid to receive a matching gift. (My gift was small, but it helped them secure the $35,000 matching gift.)
- I made some simple masks, had some extra hand sanitizer at home. I’ve given them to people who have asked for them.
- I have discovered my inner artist and expanded my business painting aura portraits.
None of these would have happened without the courage, the daring, to live within the new normal. And, each simple response to the uncertainty has increased my ability to live in this new normal.
So, no matter how much your new normal differs from your old, I wish you the courage, the curiosity, the daring to live with joy in each moment.
Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an Intuitive, Coach, Catalyst, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for personal and relationship transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.
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