How to Positively Navigate Through a Pandemic
In our natural state, peace, love, joy, and creativity flow through us in abundance. When we feel emotions outside of these, we’ve moved away from our natural state of being. Discomfort and discord will prevail until we return to our peaceful center. There are simple, yet effective, strategies that, when used consistently, have the power to reconnect us to this innate state of potential and abundance.
Affirmations are used to point us in the direction we wish to go. An effective affirmation during a difficult time is, “All is as it should be. I accept, without resistance, whatever comes.”
This affirmation points us in the direction of our natural state of joy and abundance. It’s not always immediate (e.g., from fear to joy), but it does produce a shift that creates a ripple effect. A shift, even a small one, can course correct whatever misalignment we may be experiencing.
The opportunity for change comes the moment we become aware that we’re in a cycle of worry, disappointment, fear, or depression. Making “all is as it should be” our mantra and saying it periodically throughout the day has the power to return us to a peaceful state of mind.
Part of accepting means not judging ourselves for the way we feel. Acceptance is allowing our current state of mind to be what it is. Accepting ourselves, as we are, removes resistance and judgement; and repeating the mantra sets a powerful intention.
Return to Peace
Jesus said, “Peace be with you.” This simple statement creates magic, even if it is never uttered aloud. Because our thoughts are energy, it takes just one small shift to change a trajectory.
Saying this moves us from judgement into compassion. When the judgement is within, we send the wish to ourselves. When the judgement is aimed at another person or a group of people, sending the wish to them is a powerful move, because it accomplishes two vital keys to returning to a state of peace. First, it brings us out of resistance and into acceptance. Then it transforms our apprehension and judgement into compassion. The goal is to shift the focus away from the transgression and toward solutions and healing.
How to Weather the Storm
A new threat has emerged in the world, and it’s causing a surge of fear and anxiety. It has shaken our illusion of certainty. Prior to the emergence of this deadly virus, we had a routine we thought we could count on. Our way of life appeared dependable.
However, certainty has never existed, and change is inevitable. This is not the first time mankind has faced a crisis of this magnitude, nor will it be the last.
When things like this happen, it’s easy to get caught up in fear of the unknown. Though we’ve always been in the unknown, we were under the impression that we resided in the land of the known. Therefore, the global response to this virus has thrown us off kilter. The more comfortable we felt in our routines, the farther it feels we’ve been thrown.
There are several schools of thought present within this pandemic.
The Extremist: We need to stockpile goods and lock down everything to prevent humanity from being wiped off the face of the planet.
The Realist: There’s definitely a threat. Precautions are necessary and wise. But let’s not lose our senses.
The Nonconformist: Stop overreacting. Everything’s going to be fine. No precautions are necessary.
Where the realist says, “Let’s follow the WHO’s guidelines and do our best to wait this out responsibly;” the extremist says, “Let’s prepare for the apocalypse;” and the nonconformist says, “No school. No work. Let’s party!”
Whatever school of thought we prescribe to, there is a simple path to peace of mind; a simple way to return to our natural state of joy and abundance. All it takes is one small shift of perspective.
We are all co-creators of the world, and by the universal law of attraction, whatever we focus on, we expand. When we spend time in a cycle of worry, we expand fear and create that which we do not want.
Most of us do not desire to manifest our fears, but as powerful co-creators of the world, that is exactly what we’re doing when we focus our attention on “just how bad it is” or on the “what ifs”.
“But how are we supposed to stop worrying when we’re watching the death toll rise?” we wonder.
Stay informed, but don’t watch the news on a constant loop. Turn off the television and disconnect from social media to do something creative.
Take precautions, but don’t forget to find the joy in the present moment.
Allow yourself to feel whatever feelings arise, without judgement, but don’t dwell in fear, frustration, or anxiety. Instead, immerse yourself in an activity that brings you joy.
How to Move Past Fear
If fear comes up, acknowledge it by saying, “I see you fear. I hear your concern.” Then, like a mother would soothe her worried child, shift the focus to something joyful or comforting by saying, “How about we read a book (play a game, make something yummy, paint a picture, dance, etc.)?”
By acknowledging the fear, without judging it, and then shifting the focus to something joyful, we have the power to remove the obstacles that block us from our natural state of joy and abundance.
How to Overcome Judgement
For those of us not sitting in fear, be watchful against the righteous judgement of others; for that, too, will expand fear into the world. Remember that what we think, we create. If our focus is on exasperation over the mass hysteria, we give power and growth to the mass hysteria. Even calling the fear insanity is focusing on the fear, thus bringing forth more of what is undesirable. Instead, shift your focus to healing, love, and safety. Pray for those things. Send thoughts of peace and love to those who suffer. Offer no resistance to the world as it is.
How to Prevent Negative Manifestations
We’ve been programmed to fixate on negatives. We often speak in terms of what we don’t want, rather than what we do want. Even in casual conversation, we tend to talk about what’s not working in our lives (e.g., the traffic, our kid’s allergies, our lack of time, etc.). We do this unconsciously and often don’t recognize that we spend more time thinking and speaking in negatives than positives.
Negative emotions, such as anger, irritation, and frustration are all forms of resistance. Being in the vibration of resistance will create more of what angers, irritates, and frustrates us. We must not engage in that which we do not want.
How to Make Prayer More Powerful
Prayer is a powerful tool in the manifestation process, and it’s a fantastic exercise to move us from fear to faith in times of distress. Because we manifest what we focus on, it is important that we state what we desire, rather than what we don’t want.
The following examples illustrate this concept.
Fear-based Prayer: God, please don’t let any of my family or loved ones get sick. Please keep the virus far away from us. Prevent us from losing our jobs in this time of crisis. Help us avoid setbacks and financial ruin.
Positive Prayer: God, please surround my family and loved ones with your benevolent light and protection. Help us to feel happy and safe. Divinely guide us as we face each day with faith and gratitude. Make us vessels for your work so that we may serve others. (In this version there is no mention of sickness, fear, negative scenarios, or resistance.)
Fear-based Prayer: God, please take away my grandpa’s cancer. Don’t let him die.
Positive Prayer: God, please heal my grandpa from the inside-out. Surround and fill him with your healing love and light. Restore him to optimal health for a life of longevity. (This prayer focuses on the desired outcome. Replacing cancer with optimal health sends energy to wellness, rather than disease.)
Like with prayer, it’s also important to state affirmations in the positive, rather than the negative. E.g., Today I won’t be sad or afraid of the unknown (undesirable emotions) becomes I face each day with courage and optimism (desired emotions).
We Can Heal the World with Our Minds
When we’re stuck in fearful thinking, we block our inner wisdom, and we risk creating more discord in ourselves and in the world around us. Meditation helps us become more mindful and can move us in the direction of consciously creating the world we desire. Rather than feeding fear and sickness by focusing our attention on them, we can use meditation to focus on healing.
Here’s a quick exercise to shift from fear or judgement mindset into conscious creator.
Expanding Love & Healing Meditation
Find a quiet spot to sit or lie down.
Get comfortable and close your eyes.
Take three deep breaths to ground yourself.
Focus your attention on your heart.
Visualize a beam of white light shooting out of your heart and bathing the world in a loving, healing energy.
Imagine this light energy healing the sick and cleansing the world of suffering.
Do this quick meditation every time fear or judgement emerges. It can be done in sixty seconds, or we can spend thirty minutes or more in this relaxed state of loving energy. We can also use it quickly and silently while standing in line, cooking dinner, or during a meeting. It only takes a few seconds to drum up an image of loving, healing energy that creates a shift. And the more we become accustomed to creating that one small shift, the more momentum will be generated, and the faster we will return to the flow of joy and abundance.
Imagine what would be possible if we all, collectively, made this shift every time we noticed fear or judgement within ourselves. This simple practice has the power to heal the world.
We’ve seen what has been created in the world through the energy of fear. Imagine what would be produced in the world through the shift from fear to love and healing. One small shift in each of us will create a ripple effect within all things.
This is our opportunity to see the power we have as humans. When we come together in purpose of the greater good, no threat is too large to overcome.
As Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Ways to Create a Powerful Shift
Accept, without resistance, all that is.
Laugh. We’ve all heard the expression, “Laughter is the best medicine.” That’s because laughter lifts us and cleanses our energy field. Imagine each laugh as a Clorox wipe—killing the toxic germs of fear, frustration, judgement, and depression.
Change the focus. Put attention not on what’s wrong, but on what’s right in the world.
Meditate. When we sit in stillness long enough, we’ll find that place within that is always at peace.
Let’s unite and answer this call to change with positivity, healing, and transformation.
Peace be with you.
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