Are you feeling waves of blessed relief now that Joe Biden has won Pennsylvania? Now that we can finally allow ourselves to believe that he will become our new President and Kamala Harris our first female Vice-President?
Is that the sound of champagne corks popping around the world I’ve been hearing since Biden’s victory was announced last Saturday?
Our family is celebrating his victory and a return to civility, decency, dignity, respect for the institutions and norms of government and plain, old fashioned common sense.
While all my election nerves have substantially subsided, my Covid-19 nerves are ramping up as we witness cases and hospitalizations surging across the country. Renewed restrictions are tightening in hopes of containing the rise. Without a national mask wearing mandate, opening up our schools, institutions, places of business and hoping for the best has proved a losing strategy.
Nevertheless I am encouraged by the fact that Biden has already assembled a Covid-19 Pandemic Task Force comprised of well respected epidemiologists and infectious disease experts. Thank goodness they will be prepared to hit the ground running on day one of Biden’s presidency.
Six months ago, I was naively hoping that by Thanksgiving families could gather together in grateful appreciation for each other and the flattening of the Covid-19 curve.
But that is not in the cards for 2020.
Thinking on purpose is a practice that helps us cope more effectively with the magnitude of our losses.
We have endured so many losses in 2020, including the most tragic losses of all, those of our loved ones. If your family has lost a loved one to Covid or for any other reason, my heartfelt prayers are with you and your family as you navigate this holiday season without them.
Add to that our myriad personal losses. Whether it’s in the realm of employment, finances, relationships, education, extended family time, travel, entertainment, celebrations, shelved goals and aspirations, we are all reeling from a variety of losses and disappointments.
Now, more than ever, the skill of thinking and feeling on purpose is a valuable tool to help restore our equilibrium.
First, decide on specific emotions you want to feel.
Here’s how I want to feel:
- Grateful
- Loving
- Peaceful
- Compassionate
- Confident
- Accepting
Carefully craft believable thoughts that generate those emotions.
Here are some thoughts which I am choosing to think on purpose for each of the emotions described above.
- Grateful: I am grateful for my family’s good health.
- Loving: My heart swells with love for my family wherever they are in the world.
- Peaceful: I know how to make wise, informed decisions to protect my health and support my well-being.
- Compassionate: Although I’m not perfect, I always try my best.
- Confident : Whatever is happening is for my benefit and exactly as it should be.
- Accepting: When I try to fight against what is, I lose, but only 100% of the time. (Thank you Byron Katie.)
Practice your new thoughts to fuel the emotions you want to feel.
As we head into the holiday season, cognizant that our tried and true traditions are unlikely to unfold as we had hoped, we still retain the power to accept what we can not change with grace.
By practicing the new thoughts that give us access to the emotions we wish to feel, we maximize our chances that our state of mind will be more peaceful and prepared.
It is with practice that you groove new neural pathways in your brain. New super highways for new thoughts to travel. Repetition matters. Take multiple times each day to practice your new thoughts.
* Say them out loud.
* Write them on post it notes.
* Couple them with other activities, like each time you walk through a threshold, brush your teeth, eat a meal, during a TV commercial break.
* Set a reminder on your phone.
* Practice and repetition are key to making new thoughts sticky!
Keep leaning into gratitude.
Let’s think more about all the things for which you’re grateful, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant. It all matters.
Create a master list. Add to your master list each day. Revel in feelings that suffuse your spirit when you dwell in gratitude.
Research shows the long lasting benefits.
Give that gift to yourself this holiday season.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed this holiday season, let’s talk.
You can start planning now to make the most of what’s possible for you and your family.
Let me know that you want to schedule a free Strategy Call right here.
