It’s hard not to notice that every single person is looking for a distraction right now. Distractions from reality, distractions for their children, everyone wants a distraction but rather than doing things, people just keep scrolling and sharing “good ideas,” but not actually executing. (I can confidently say this by the number of posts shared by individuals throughout the day.) I’m here to tell you that a potentially deadly virus has given you a gift. Admittedly, a gift wrapped in global panic and uncertainty can be hard to appreciate, but it gave you a gift, if you choose to see it. It is a precious gift, which many have never seen in their lifetimes, and here it is just waiting for you to accept it. What is this gift? you ask. The gift is time.
Speaking of time. This is a strange time we are living in, almost fictional (perhaps lending credence to a Matrix style reality). With all the madness, fear, and global worry, I thought I would take a moment to point out the obvious by first calling attention to the most common complaint. “I Wish I Had More Time To…” and you can fill in the blank. Whatever that blank holds for you is an interest, which could easily be used to nurture your true passion. Do you wish you had more time to meditate, read, draw, laugh, or as with me…write? If so, I hope that it hits you, as you sit here scrolling through blogs and social media, that you have literally been given a gift of time and endless scrolling and searching isn’t necessarily the best use of your gift.
The news will be there when you turn the TV on again, your friends and family will let you know of important updates if you miss anything. Don’t you think this is the perfect opportunity to do something with greater potential than worry? Perhaps you don’t know where to start. Well, most days, neither do I, but I realized that the challenges I put forth for myself are practice. Practice to be better, practice to dive deeper into myself and figure out where inspiration lies for me, practice to learn how to create and communicate something for those who wish to experience it.
Yet many can find this new found solitude wildly intimidating and vacant. Being alone and unstimulated by all the little distractions technology provides is a weakness that is easily overcome. Start slow, set your microwave or stove timer for 5 minutes and turn off your phone, step away from your computer, look out the window and find the beauty in what originally brought you to this place…no matter how hard it is to find. Then, grab a piece of paper and scribble, doodle, grab a real camera and snap a pic (or use your phone on airplane mode), do something that brings you back to you and when you’re done, don’t judge it. Creativity seems so easy for the creative, but it’s not. It’s a constant battle of the mind for both personal and public approval. This is your gift of time, be gentle with yourself. Find a new appreciation for all those inspirations you experienced when you didn’t have so much free time and take full advantage.
