Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) June/July 2020 Aspire Magazine FULL Issue | Page 45

And even during this difficult time, there are
also many unexpected blessings. One such
blessing for me has been precious time with
my family and another gift has been the
deepening of my relationships with neighbors
and friends. For those who have been able to
or forced to pause, one blessing has been time
for reflection. I have learned so much when I
ask people to share what they have discovered
about themselves through this crisis.
In a recent community conversation on
zoom, one older woman shared that she has
found she can live on her own and thrive.
When I asked her to share more about her
discovery she said she is an extrovert and
that the shelter in place order has been very
challenging leaving her feel disconnected
and isolated. Over time she discovered
that she can reach out on zoom and feel a
real sense of connection with others that is
so important to her. As a result she is now
scheduling a conversation with family and
friends on zoom every day.
This pandemic has provided an opportunity
to reflect on what is truly important in our
lives. In times of uncertainty we can either
focus on what we have control of or what we
do not. Let’s make the deeply nurturing
choice and focus on what we have
control of - discovering what we value
and hold dear. When we recognize what is
truly important, we can then prioritize it in our
lives. We can take this experience and allow
it to inform how we live moving forward.
If we decide to prioritize what is truly
important in our lives, the lessons
from this pandemic will inspire us in
living more authentically, aligned with
our values, and with more peace, joy
and meaning.
“Knowing yourself
is the beginning of
all wisdom.”
– ARISTOTLE
If you are wondering how to reconnect with
what is important to you, I offer you the
following five self-nurturing practices to
support your process of discovery. These
nurturing practices will empower you to
discover what you value and cherish in
your life.
Here are five ways to reconnect
with what is important in
your life:
1
Cultivate a Mindfulness Practice
Start by setting an intention to bring a spirit
of curiosity and non-judgement to your life
as you pay attention on purpose. Bringing
mindfulness to how you feel, what you think,
and the choices you make will provide you
a tremendous amount of information about
what is important to you. Whether you
choose to meditate daily or bring your full
attention to your conversations, drinking
tea, or doing the dishes, you will discover so
much more about yourself than you would
living on auto-pilot. You may even find many
HEALTH & WELLNESS
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