Enter Stage Left: The New Me
Did you ever feel like you were lost at sea at any point this year? I know I did!
With the pandemic stretching on, the environment displaying the dire effects of climate change and the general distrust of, well, everything, I noticed myself more on edge than usual.
I soon realized I was living in this cocoon that I had built as a means of protecting myself from all the dangers that exist outside of my home. I was quickly conditioned to think that all human contact is deemed risky forever. Even with loved ones!
As a result, I CRAVED community--I daydreamed of dance parties, lusted for enjoying a meal at a busy restaurant in another country, even yearned to make friends with strangers at an airport! Meanwhile, I was subconsciously guided by that underlying fear that everything is out to get me. Although I hardly watched any COVID media coverage, I quickly assimilated to the vibrations of the collective: FEAR & ANXIETY. So I promised myself on October 1st that I would make an effort to reclaim my space in society (safely) and reintroduce myself to my extended community, in person, with open arms.
First, I attended a beautiful event called Melanated Moments where we collectively unpacked the our Fight/Flight/Freeze response and dug into how to become more Resilient in moments of uncertainty. This experience opened me up as I was guided to recall how we as humans existed prior to the pandemic: open, trusting, playful. I realized that even though I’m in a room full of strangers, I can remember how easily I was able to literally breathe around them before this fear-based lifestyle took hold.
It was there that I openly declared out loud that I want to host events again, online but more so in person.
The magic that emerges when people come together in the same space, and vibe off of each other is something that I think we all need these days, especially myself. And although the pandemic isn’t quite behind us, we now have the knowledge and resources to navigate how to conduct ourselves in a public setting not only safely, but with informed sensitivity to how each one of us experienced the pandemic differently.
Here are a few things to remember as we approach the holiday season
Be gentle with yourselves and each other because we are all in this.
Take time to check in with yourself daily as you reintroduce old habits and behaviors and find what works for you in the present moment.
Remember to set healthy boundaries and honor the boundaries set by others.
In meantime, I hope to see you soon :)
