Perhaps you’re feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, seeing no end in sight. You think this shouldn’t be happening, it doesn’t make sense. You want nothing more than for things to get back to normal. In a word, you’re suffering.
We are all suffering. Some more than others. That’s what happens when life changes quickly and we don’t know what comes next. People don’t like uncertainty.
Here’s the good news; this isn’t the end of the story.
Our experiences are simply the product of the feelings we have and the stories we tell ourselves. They change over time. We change over time. In the moment, we feel our emotions in real time. These feelings immediately dictate the story to be told, be it one of sadness, pain, anger, or joy. Later, when we’ve had a chance to fully appreciate the context we were in, the other characters involved, the outcomes of our actions, the stories change, reshaping our feelings about the events that transpired.
This is a wonderful opportunity, one that only rational beings get to experience, so it would seem. If someone asked what you were most proud of in your life, no doubt your answer would involve a struggle that you overcame, a period of suffering. At the time it was miserable, but you persevered, grew, and became a better version of yourself.
That is what’s happening now. It’s hard. We don’t know how the story ends, and that’s precisely where the opportunity lies. We will all have the chance to rewrite our own stories, turning this present experience into one of meaning and triumph.
This isn’t the end of the story. But remember, our actions today will shape our stories tomorrow.
Be well.