One Calm Person

Coronavirus has us all running a bit scared, and with good reason. Yet, as the news worsens daily, I find myself pausing to check in with my own fears.

My son has an underlying lung condition that puts him in the high-risk category if he were to contract this virus. I’ve had to stop myself and check my thinking. My level of fear, and my deep concern over the possibility of catching it from someone and then bringing it home and giving it to him.

Like you, we’re hunkered down for what might be the long haul. Our lives have been upended, my business is at a standstill, and I’m pretty sure I have enough milk to last about a week. I’m disappointed that neither of my kids, after all of their hard work over the past four years, will experience that walk down the aisle to pick up their diplomas this spring. I’m even more distressed that I can’t hug anyone.

We’re all impacted by a variation of the same.

I’ve run all sorts of doomsday scenarios over in my mind about “what ifs.” But, because I continue to maintain my daily meditation practice, I think I’ve been a little more present to myself and my thinking over these past few weeks. I am reminded that we each have both positive and negative seeds in our stored consciousness. It is up to us which one of those seeds we will choose to water.

Yet here’s the thing, if I’m watering the seeds of panic, it’s impossible to be present enough to rationally consider this “new reality” forced upon us all.

Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh shared a story about a crowded boat full of refugees traveling on the high seas during a violent storm. The moral of his story was that if everyone on the boat panicked, all would be lost, and perhaps no one would have survived. But if even one person on the boat remained calm and centered, it was enough. Enough to calm the others. It showed the way for everyone to survive.

Let’s practice being that one calm person in the boat.

For today, let’s practice listening to our inner dialog. Take a moment to explore any fear that might be coming up. Every challenge in life is our teacher in the end. Let’s use this situation as an opportunity to learn something new about ourselves, our reactions, emotions, and inner dialog.

Create a quiet moment in your day today to process the stress and uncertainty of these times. Restore and preserve yourself so you can help others.

And, as always, I am here to support you in any way that I can. Please feel free to connect with me directly at 858-248-0488.

For a full list of weekly meditations, gatherings and Dharma talks with Maggie Kelly, check out the Satsang House Event Calendar for dates and times.