“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”

Today’s quote comes from Helen Keller. Ms. Keller, left deaf and blind from an illness contracted when she was nineteen months old, became a vocal champion for many issues still being discussed and debated today—woman’s suffrage, labor rights, socialism, and antimilitarism.

Fifty-plus years after her passing, Helen’s message has been condensed to a hashtag—AloneTogether. This is all well and good, however, remember words are just words unless followed by action. 

I think AloneTogether is our new global mantra. Believe it. Recite it. Practice it. Now and always.

I can lose all sense of time Googling inspirational and motivational quotes. I enjoy this process almost as much as contemplating their meaning. I conducted a search using terms I believe are relevant to our current global situation: awakening, change, growth, hope, optimism, and shift. I scanned a few hundred quotes before settling on one by the late Mahatma Gandhi. By the way, the term “mahatma” means great soul. And he is.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Week four of the COVID-19 lockdown is upon us. I assume many, if not most of us, have implemented and adjusted to new routines—working from home, homeschooling children, limiting errands to what’s essential, physical distancing, and more. I’d also like to believe that we’ve taken this gift of time to reinvent ourselves and our priorities, all while remaining positive as we navigate the shift that’s taking place.

I’d love to hear the ways you’ve made use of this time, as well as your plans to maintain these changes in the coming days, weeks, and months. Here’s a few things I’ve done or am doing with this newfound opportunity:

• I tidied up my recipe binder, and in the process unearthed several old favorites. I also husband-tested several new dishes, including main courses and desserts.
• After devouring my stash of library books, I surrendered to technology and am now reading on my iPad. A huge thank you to my local library for providing sites where books can be downloaded for free.
• Under the heading, “Learn Something New,” I decided to expand my knowledge of astrology and numerology. I’m doing this via YouTube videos, books, and by connecting with websites suggested by like-minded friends.
• As a way to spend time in nature, I walk daily, steering clear of fellow exercisers. I generally listen to music as I traverse the neighborhood, or catch-up with friends via cell phone.
• I’ve decided to start composting kitchen and yard waste and am scouring the internet for information. I hope to purchase a bin in the near future. Yes, I’m excited about making my own dirt.
• I charged the battery in my fancy schmancy digital camera and intend to get behind the lens this week. It’s likely I’ll snap images of my two favorite subjects—cows and trees. Yep, I’m weird.

Let me know what you’ve been up to. By sharing our stories, we stay connected, motivated, and uplifted. Just one of many gems embedded in this time of awakening, enlightenment, and rebirth.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen many social media posts that are inspiring, uplifting, and thought-provoking. Today, a former classmate, kindred spirit, and outstanding teacher of high school English shared the following quote from Sonya Renee Taylor. (Thanks, Beth.)

“We will not go back to normal. Normal never was. Our pre-corona existence was not normal other than we normalized greed, inequity, exhaustion, depletion, extraction, disconnection, confusion, rage, hoarding, hate, and lack. We should not long to return, my friends. We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment. One that fits all of humanity and nature.”   

I’ve read this paragraph several times, and I hope you’ll do the same. Consider it your daily ration of food-for-thought. I believe we’re awakening to a time of significant change, and it’s my hope that you’ll sign up for a new way of living, loving, thinking, creating, co-existing, and most importantly, being.

We’re living an ever-changing narrative, one that feels out-of-control, uncertain, and even chaotic. These feelings, many of them valid, can lead us to become mired in fear. I’m hearing a lot of fear-based and fear-invoking words in the press and via social media. We must quiet these fears so we can focus on the lessons at hand. And many of these lessons come from within us, from our intuition.

Merriam-Webster defines intuition this way: The power or faculty of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference; quick and ready insight.

I found a few quotes to further define or describe intuition:

“A quiet mind is able to hear intuition over fear.”    English Proverb

“If it looks right, but feels wrong, it’s FEAR. If it looks wrong but feels right, it’s INTUITION.”    Unknown

“Intuition is seeing with the soul.”    Dean Koontz

The best way to connect with your intuition is by being quiet. This can be done via mediation (either sitting or walking), yoga, journaling, spending time in nature, or by just being present or “mindful” as you navigate your day. I realize this is often easier said than done. I suffer from what Buddhists refer to as “monkey mind,” and perhaps you do, too. My brain is constantly on, focused on the minute and mundane. This is the ego constantly vying for my attention, and the ego speaks a language that’s often infused with negativity and fear.

Just say no to the ego, and instead listen to your inner voice. It’s always speaking to you and through you. And that voice will comfort and guide you to peace, and more importantly, LOVE.

We are experiencing a time of great change. Some of it will be temporary, and some will be permanent, even necessary. There are many people who’ve spoken about change and their quotes deserve to be shared. Here are a few to inspire you to embrace this opportunity standing before us:

Sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge.    Don Henley

The hardest part of moving forward IS NOT LOOKING BACK.   Unknown

I’ll end with a quote from the late Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr:

If you can’t fly, then run.

If you can’t run, then walk.

If you can’t walk, then crawl.

But whatever you do,

You have to KEEP MOVING FORWARD.

We’ve all experienced the dreaded symptoms of a cold, allergies, or sinus infection—a stuffy nose, a congested, leaden head, sinus pressure, and mouth breathing. When confronted with these symptoms, we often ingest copious amounts of medication, both over-the-counter and prescription, desperate for relief.

I suspect that for quite some time, Mother Earth has been existing in a perpetual state of congestion, a result of the massive amount of pollutants dumped into her breathing space. Day after day, she’s forced to exist in her clogged state with little hope for a respite from her misery.

As a result of our global timeout, planes have been grounded, trains sit idle on tracks, factories are closed, and people are at home and out of their cars. Our collective standstill has resulted in positive changes in the environment. Perhaps the most notable is the significant decline in air pollution in major cities around the world.

Mother Earth can breathe. And she’s grinning from ear to ear as she inhales slow, deep, cleansing breaths through her nose. She’s grateful for this gift, and she’s wondering what can be done to ensure that it lasts?

Manifesting the End of Coronavirus. This was the title and subject of a video I watched earlier this week. The gist of the message can be summed up in four words:

What we resist persists.

During this time of isolation and physical distancing, we need to remain focused on the positive. I’d never dismiss the seriousness of this situation—people becoming ill, people dying, the loss of jobs, and more—yet we need to accept and embrace where we are and be patient as this ever-changing scenario unfolds.

In an effort to make peace with our current state of affairs, I suggest writing a note to COVID-19, thanking it for the lessons you’ve learned thus far, and the ways you intend to make permanent changes or shifts in the way you think and live going forward.

Here’s a sample template:

Dear Coronavirus,

In the smattering of days since you found your way into our country, our homes, and our communities, I’ve learned so much about myself, my life, and my priorities. I’ve also become aware of the plethora of things I’ve taken for granted. I’d like to thank you for showing up as my teacher, and I’m grateful for my front row seat in your classroom. Your lessons are necessary and important and are providing me with awareness and opportunity.

Here are a few things I’ve learned so far, and the new plans and goals I have for the future:

INSERT YOUR LIST

I’m choosing to live my life one day at a time, allowing things to unfold without fear, negativity, judgment, and impatience. I’m also doing my best to remain hopeful, optimistic, and focused, and I choose to be kind, empathetic, and sincere in everything I think, do, and say.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

With love,

If you’ve been following along this week, most of what I’ve written have been my words, my views. Today, I want to share the voice of someone else. In 1971, the song, “Imagine,” was released. It was co-written by John Lennon and wife, Yoko Ono. In 2011, Rolling Stone magazine named it the third-greatest song of all time. It’s number one for me and has been for some time.

Here we are, nearly 50 years later, and we’ve yet to manifest the things John sang and dreamed about. It’s not too late. We can do this.

Just imagine what the world would be like if we did?

“Imagine”

Like quicksand under our feet, we’ve been sinking into a dark, dank abyss. Many have drawn attention to this slow, yet steady slide, but their cries for help have mostly been ignored, even dismissed. How did we get here? The list is lengthy…

A lack of common courtesy and respect

The fracturing of our two-party system

Inability to disconnect from devices

Shrinking of the middle class

Improper care of the elderly

Dismissal of climate change

Living beyond our means

Ageism in the workplace

Unaffordable healthcare

Lack of a living wage

Overcrowded prisons

Unhealthy lifestyles

Mental health crisis

Displaced veterans

Frivolous lawsuits

Human trafficking

Animal extinction

Harried lifestyles

Opioid epidemic

Corporate greed

Unemployment

Mass shootings

Discrimination

Homelessness

Pay inequality

Working poor

Animal abuse

Hate crimes

Materialism

Hurricanes

Tornadoes

Wildfires

Addiction

Pollution

Bullying

Drought

Poverty

Racism

Fraud

Virus

I’ve often pondered the questions, “What can I do? What can one person do?” The answer, I believe, lies within the lyrics, co-written in 1955 by the husband-wife team of Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller. (Thanks, Brian, for the reminder.)

“Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me.”

We are at a critical juncture in time. Do we continue our downward spiral or do we grasp the lifeline and begin our ascent? I say we take this unprecedented opportunity to save ourselves, our planet, our creatures, our humanity.

We have the power to turn this around, and the time is now. Will you do your part?