HEART & SOUL : Hard times: Focus on energizing endeavors
Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Whatever happens next can’t change how devastating the past weeks have been for our country. We’ve been knocked on our collective rear. All we can do is get up, take a deep breath and turn our attention to the task at hand. We have no choice. This isn’t just a test, this is the exam.
In hard times, we endure. We do what we can. We focus on something positive and we persevere. Of course, there’s a sense of shock as what so many of us have feared finally comes to pass. We have to let ourselves react, even grieve. So maybe we have a down day or two or more, but we don’t have a down week. We don’t have a down month. We can’t afford that now.
In the aftermath of the hurricanes, with the economy so fragile and so freakish, when the issues cast shadows so vast we cannot see their form, what better topics are there than resilience, courage and love ? These are what will sustain us. These, and our ingenuity, independence and intrepid spirit.
The kind of fear that rushes around us now can destabilize our best efforts, if we let it. To stay strong, we have to turn our attention to what really matters. Love. Family and friends. The beauty of the world around us. Our health. Small kindnesses and considerate acts.
We can’t linger in sorrow or confusion any more than we can stay in fear. We accomplish nothing if we don’t move on. The wealth of information about the economy that will bombard us during the next months will dwell on the negative. Learn to consume information with discernment and place responsibility where it belongs. Don’t waste your breath or time blaming.
Resolve each day to do three things to energize your body and sustain your spirits. Take extra good care of yourself. Eat well and simply. Hit the gym if you can; if not, at least find the time to take a walk. Push yourself to walk fast. When you relax, watch something funny, inspiring or heroic.
Try to think on those things that are beautiful, lovely, worthy of your attention. Consider your loved ones, your friends, your pets. Consider the sunrise, and the shining beauty of some part of nature, some small miracle of green. Keep a photo of something or someone that inspires you.
Spend quiet time in prayer, meditation or reflection. Whatever practice speaks to you, let it talk to you now. Faith sustains. Use your silent voice to sound a tone of love, hope, faith and compassion. Set these as your mind-set and heart-set.
Be honest with your children, and remind them of their faith and your love for them. More than anything else, they simply need to know that we will do our best and we will still find time for them. We are their anchor in the world. Accept the challenge of setting an example they can respect and emulate. Make being together fun.
Don’t underestimate the power of a simple act of kindness, courtesy or compassion. Remind your children of this, then show them how to do it. Expect them to be strong as well as kind, and they will be.
Following every wave of fear or worry, re-evaluate. The power of hard times works in strange ways to make us stronger, but rarely do we see that in the moment. We learn humility when we are humbled by the enormousness of forces beyond our power to control. We acquire dignity when we choose to face difficulty as best we can. We are at our best in hard times. We are strong people. We are brave people. We will endure. Write to Jennifer Hansen at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 515 Enterprise Drive, Suite 106, Lowell, Ark. 72745. E-mail her at:
jhansen@arkansasonline. com
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