April’s Letter
#WeWillOvercome
Hi guys,
So, our “best year yet” has hit one mighty speed-bump huh? Unless you have been living under a rock, COVID-19 has hit and boy is it no joke.
This last month has been hard and has been a key reason as to why our content has been somewhat slow. Getting the motivation together to produce pieces right now, just felt a tad asinine in the grand scheme of things, considering what the world is currently dealing with. So many of us are scared, are sick, have lost loved ones, have had our income threatened – the psychology behind why ‘do this’ or ‘do that’, or how we should be more eco or accepting as a society, just somehow didn’t feel right as something to push to the forefront of conversation right now.
So what is left to do? What is left to question or fill our time up with? It feels almost too easy to give up and let the anxiety overwhelm us.
Some of us are self-isolating. Some of us are in lock down. Some of us are stranded in a foreign country and cannot come home. Some of us still have to work despite our fears, due to being key workers. Some of us can’t access food to feed our families and babies, due to panic buyers. Some of us suffer with mental illness or other health issues causing paranoia, anxiety, and depression to just bubble up so greatly at the seams of our being that we are not sure how long we can quite contain ourselves during the current suspense of this pandemic.
What’s going to happen? Will my family be safe? Will I be safe? How can I do my food shopping without running the risk of contracting the virus? What is going to happen to my job? What is going to happen to my/my child’s education? Will I die?
Over this last month, I think we have all asked ourselves at least one of these questions.
So, is COVID-19 really as bad as they say?
That unfortunately is not my place to say, I am not a doctor and I am not a virologist. However, I am a person with logical thought, initiative, and someone who cares. Therefore my kind advice would be:
Better to be safe than sorry.
By washing your hands regularly, practicing social distancing, quarantining yourself where possible, wiping down and cleaning things that come into your home, the results will be:
Best case scenario: You and your family stay safe, healthy and alive.
Worst case scenario: You end up being bored and stir crazy for a while.
I think the math here is obvious.
Follow the rules, follow the guidance, and be cautious. Be OVER cautious. Take precautions as if your life depends on it - as you may be fine if you contract the virus, but someone who you accidently then pass it onto may not be as lucky. We cannot afford that risk. Be thoughtful and think ahead with every choice you make. We do not want to extend the amount of time we have to remain in isolation away from our normal lives and routines. We want this over with as quickly as possible, which means unfortunately, as much as it sucks
we must follow the rules.
We all know this is hard, and lonely, and boring, and ruins plans and expectations we had for ourselves and our lives. We unfortunately cannot change this, but what we can do is decide to use this opportunity actively. No, this doesn’t mean you suddenly have to pick up an interest in baking sourdough bread, start a juice cleanse or learn yoga (although if you want to, have at it!). To instead, use this time valuably in a way that means something to you.
Who are you and what are your skills?
What do you want out of life?
What makes you happy?
What is your definition of satisfaction and fulfilment?
How can you use or develop your skills in order to achieve this higher state of being?
Use this time to make a plan for yourself and use this time to start doing things towards that goal(s).
Maybe you always wanted to set up a YouTube channel? Or learn how to garden, because some day you would like to live off-grid and live independently? Maybe for ages you wanted to learn a particular skill for your CV or for a business you wanted to start up? Maybe you have been putting off applying for your next training course?
Well do it.
Don’t fritter away this opportunity being sad or anxious. Hone that nervous and uncertain energy into something that will keep you on track, focused and more aligned with achieving your goals.
Similarly, if you want to use this opportunity instead to make time for yourself in a more leisurely way, then do so! Read that book you have been putting off because “you don’t get the opportunity to read unless you are on holiday”, watch that box-set you love again, concentrate on your fitness, do some research on some amazing home treatments you can do for your skin/nails/hair etc.
Use this time to make you feel good. Whatever that means to you. Just don’t waste it feeling awful, worrying, looking over your shoulder, flailing round in the negativity on social media, or overeating things that make you feel sluggish and unhealthy. Remember the good that can come from this, if you just stopped and looked inside yourself. The good is already happening around you, if you just pause to see:
Think about it, when was the last time you saw chemtrails from planes in the sky? We are all using our cars less. Pollution has decreased and consequently there is less Co2 in the air. Fish and wildlife are returning to places where they hadn’t existed in years due to mankind’s decreased activity. Have you not seen? Look further and think more. Life does not have to be all doom and gloom if you refuse to let it be.
I want to share with you a really impactful quote I saw floating around Instagram. If you are struggling to see the good through all of this mist, I urge you to read this:
“And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently. And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal. And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved for their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.”
– Kitty O’Meara
Shine your light and push forward. We will ride this wave together, and we WILL overcome.
- Samantha
Put the hashtag #WeWillOvercome in your bio on your social media page and tweet/post it to show others that your inbox is open to those who may be struggling during the COVID-19 Crisis; that you can provide sources for support; and that you can/want to help where possible and is safe.
If you would like to find out how you can get involved with helping others during this distressing time, please check out our call-out letter here and keep an eye out for the new COVID-19 support section.