What made me write this blog is that I was asked:

“How would you approach the coronavirus pandemic, ATTITUDE WISE, if you had to go through it all over AGAIN?”

Now there’s a horrible thought for you!

So, lets set the scene: Bear with me on this, there is a point.

A wicked witch whispers in your ear when you are just falling off to sleep:

“This life you are living and have lived it, you will have to live it ONCE MORE and there will be nothing new in it, every pain and every joy, every sigh and sadness, everything small of great in your life will return to you, all in the same succession and sequence.

In other words, the hourglass of your life will be turned over AGAIN!

So the events stay the same.

The ONLY thing you could CHANGE would be your ATTITUDE toward them.You could change the way you thought or felt about something.”

“What is the purpose of this, I asked.”

“It is a THOUGHT EXPERIMENT to test your relationship to your life.”

Consider these questions:

Do you celebrate being ALIVE?

Do you savour your moments, even the painful or challenging ones?

Would it be wonderful to savour them AGAIN? Why?

If you feel horrified by this experiment, this suggests that you are NOT making the most of your time on this earth.

But if you wouldn’t mind going through it all again, that means you LOVE your fate and you accepted it OR you are content with the meaning you have created in your life.

There are some memories a person has that they wish they didn’t have to re-live.

On the other hand, it would be great to re-live memories of family and friends.

So there would probably be an INTENSIFICATION of one’s feelings, both good or bad about the past.

The knowledge that you would have to live all past events over again, would change the way you feel about them and regard them. So, your attitude toward them would change even though the events themselves are NOT changing.

Looking back over your life would you have a more positive attitude towards events, good or bad?

Yes, because if you have to live them over again, your good attitude would help you go through the bad ones and it would help you to REALLY enjoy the good ones.

Something to think about in the Present!

Living your life over again with no changes but attitude would probably make you attend to your experiences more and live a more vivid life.

Can you think of all the times in your past that would have been better if your attitude at the time was more positive?

So, by changing your ATTITUDE towards events in your life, you make sure it’s a life worth reliving and one you could love.

So here’s the trick: It makes sense to have a positive attitude towards your life, one that is worth loving, even if it only happens ONCE!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

Now back to the original question:

If I had to go through the pandemic all over again how would I change my attitude toward it?

At the beginning of the lockdown I was fearful and at the same time, angry that my life was being severely restricted. Fearful of the uncertainty and the impending dufficulty of obtaining food supplies. I was fearful for my future and my wife’s since we were elderly and this lockdown would take a CHUNK OF TIME OUT OF OUR LIVES.

But now I’ve decided to approach it with a more positive and upbeat attitude.

Eventually we will be able to meet family and friends and maybe, just maybe, things might change for the better after it’s over.

The world might be better prepared for the next pandemic and maybe people will value their present moments more and enjoy them.

People might think about what’s really important in life such as, enjoying your family and friends more and being more content in your life. And maybe, there’s a lot of maybes, a more unified world would emerge.

So, if I had to live it all over again, I would try NOT to be so fearful and angry at the first and to think how it could be better when it’s over.

So, this story of living your life over again, gives you a good reason, attitude wise, to make the rest of your life a life worth living OR does it simply make everything meaningless?

In conclusion, I believe we have to find our OWN meaning in our lives.

When you’re living with an uncontrollable situation and/or illness strikes, life is turned upside down!

The Truths:

LIFE IS SUFFERING: In between suffering you have some pleasant experiences, some longer than others.

This truth describes the conditions of life that are shared by all humans.

Birth, aging, illness, sorrow, pain, grief and death. Plus losing what we cherish.

Notice none of the conditions are pleasant experiences, they are mentally and physically painful.

This is a honest assessment of the human condition.

When these conditions occur we need to learn how to respond wisely–Accept them and carry on.

It is the relentless effort to ESCAPE what we CANNOT ESCAPE and to CHANGE what we CANNOT CHANGE that leads us to dissatisfaction with life and suffering.

When we resist painful experiences we CREATE suffering.

ACCEPTANCE of “WHAT IS” is the way to contentment and less suffering.

WANT/DON’T WANT MIND–We want ONLY pleasant experiences and we don’t want unpleasant ones. This creates suffering. The human condition doesn’t operate this way.

The end of mental suffering is possible even when suffering in body.

The path to inner peace: Wise Understanding–knowing what to expect in life.

Wise Action–Enjoy the present moment, it’s the only life you have.

With the end of suffering comes enlightenment, liberation , freedom and peace of mind.

NOTHING IS PERMANENT–Anything can happen at any time.

With impermanence comes uncertainty and unpredictability.

This brings stress and anxiety because we crave security and assurance.

WE DON’T CONTROL MUCH OF OUR EXPERIENCE!

OH, HOW WE LONG FOR PEACE OF MIND!

So what’s the best way to get through the day?

Go through the motions one day at a time.

Stay calm and keep on keeping on.

Enjoy the present, it’s the ONLY life you have!

Reflect on Impermanance–the fact that every aspect of my life is uncertain, unpredictable and in constant flux.

Look after each moment, cherishing what you STILL CAN DO, and being aware that everything could change in an instant.

EQUANIMITY–is a sublime state, it is mental calmness in a difficult situation.

When you dwell in Equanimity, you are able to stand up to whatever is present in the moment, including unpleasant experiences, with a mind that is at peace.

When you’re ill, you can’t predict what symptoms will hit you on a particular day.

That’s why we have good days and bad days.

I am resigned to the fact that I might be ill for the rest of my life. If that’s the case, I know that I feel better the more I can ACCEPT that possibility without bitterness.

Try to accept the unexpected complications that arise in you life. Then you won’t suffer mentally.

Don’t Complain, complaining creates suffering!

When you’re old, there’s lots to complain about:

On going aches and pains, loss of the inclination and the ability to do things, and uncertainty about the future.

Most complaining centres around our desire to control what’s happening to us.

We don’t control much, but we can respond with acceptance and calmness.

Complaining makes you more stressed and unhappy.

MINDFULNESS is the practice of turning your attention “with care” to your experience at the moment.

With care means paying attention with kindness and compassion.

This can help you make peace with your life as it is at the moment.

You must keep your boat afloat!

You can go through the motions TODAY, one day at a time.

And ENJOY the day as much as possible because it’s the ONLY life you have.

CARRY ON!