Where do we go from here?
I keep hearing about this thing called "the new normal." Intellectually, I get it. But emotionally, I’m not there yet.
Are you?
We’re in limbo. We’re caught somewhere in between the old way of living and something else. None of us really knows what this new normal will look like, and the old normal is pretty much gone. So where do we go from here?
How do we move forward when it appears the sidewalk is ending?
How do we inhabit our lives in authentic, healthy ways when we’re feeling stuck in limbo?
* * *
Here’s the answer (simple, but not easy): decide.
Decide to inhabit your best life NOW. Don’t wait. Choose to show up for yourself despite the circumstances (stress, turmoil, and uncertainty) all around you.
If you’re waiting to see what the new normal feels like before you take care of yourself, I’ve got news: there is no new normal. Not yet, anyway.
But being in limbo isn’t a bad thing. It’s just that we’re not accustomed to it. It feels awkward. We humans don’t much like awkwardness.
Limbo is simply the space between things. It’s just a void— neither good nor bad. There are no monsters in Limboland. Limbo is actually a transformational space. It’s where creativity is born. It’s where transition happens— moving from one way of being to another.
Isn't that what we're all after anyway? Transitioning to a better version of ourselves as we go through life?
Limbo harnesses that creative energy, and if you let it, it'll push you out on the other side of this completely transformed.
* * *
So, back to the question. Where do we go from here? How do we live our best lives possible, how do we lose weight, how do we thrive, while life is in limbo?
We choose to.
We make a choice to show up for ourselves, and for the people we love. We simply decide that it’s important to us.
We feel it in our bones— that deep inner calling. We decide that whenever life knocks us down, we won’t sit there and cry in the dirt. We’ll pick ourselves up, dust off our britches, and get back to it.
We get back to eating well because we know it makes us feel better in the long run and helps normalize our weight.
We get back to making sleep a priority because we know chronic lack of sleep and anxiety causes hormone disruptions, piles pounds on, and makes us cranky.
We get back to being creative problem solvers— whether that’s figuring out how to make a healthy breakfast out of last night’s left-overs (assuming last night dinner wasn’t pizza!), how to stretch a dollar, or how to simplify our lives so that we can focus on what’s most important.
We get back to being optimists because deep down, we feel happier when we believe in the inherent goodness of the world.
We get back to listening to our inner mentor, who knows how strong and resilient we are.
We get back to stretching, dancing, skipping, and moving our bodies simply because it feels good and we love having a body that moves.
We get back to walking tall and looking ahead to the future we’re creating.
There is no end of the sidewalk.
* * *
Some thoughts about thriving in limbo…
1. Rise up, right now.
Get off the sofa. Lift your arms to sky and stretch. Deep breath. Go for a walk. Dance. Find your groove and do something that gets your body moving. Sing. Make art. Laugh.
Repeat as often as necessary to avoid depression or emotional eating.
2. Write (or draw) the story of your future.
Each of us has a life story. Your story is not defined by your past. It’s defined by what you do in this moment. Tomorrow is a blank page. You get to create your own future. Do it now. Not later. Not next week. Right now, because if you don’t decide today what you want for your life tomorrow, your life tomorrow will be exactly the same as it is today.
Get a blank piece of paper (anything but toilet paper will do). Imagine who you want to become as a result of this life experience. How does what you are living today help you lean into becoming your best self— and what does that look like? Write it down, or borrow your grandkids' watercolor set and paint the picture of your future. Get it out of your head and on paper so you can breathe some life into it.
3. Own your life.
My life— the way it unfolds, the choices I make, and all the highs and lows from beginning to end— that story is all on me. Others will weave themselves into and out of the tapestry of my life, but in the end, this life I’m living is 100% mine. Whether I like it or not.
This is true for you, too.
Isn’t it time we stop waiting for the right time (the new normal) to own our life experiences?
Isn’t it time we wake up and live the life we really want to live?
Come on, now. Own it.
4. Pursue positivity relentlessly.
Change your point of view. Instead of looking at all that is broken in your world, look for all that is positive.
Find a happy place and do whatever it takes to stay there as much as you possibly can.
Avoid people who bring you down. And if you can’t avoid them, just see them and love them where they are. They are in limbo, too.
Change your inputs. Curate the hell out of your life. Don’t let ANY negative shit come into your world. I mean it… keep out the news, the negative people, the stories your inner critic tells you. Run away from negativity as if your life depends on it.
Because living a happy, healthy life does depend on it.
Sending you love.
Image Credit: Children's Books for Pandemics by Stafanie Trilling
Click through and see all the book covers. They are poignant, timely, and hilariously heartwarming for all of us grown-up kids.