This blog post is recycled from newsletter that I published on April 6th, 2020 - 1 year ago. While some aspects of life and community have changed since then, many things remain the same. Life has gotten back to normal in some respects, but I recognize there is no “normal” and maybe there never was.
The only constant is change
Life is prickly sometimes, but also beautiful.
Many of us are in the throes of learning to adapt to these unprecedented times. The ways in which we overcome these challenges aren't necessarily dependent on our assets or our brute strength. "He with the most toys wins" or "Survival of the fittest" do not apply in our new reality. Our ability to adapt to change is what keeps us alive and viable.
The quote below is often misattributed to Charles Darwin in different versions, but regardless of who said it, the message remains the same: “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” ― Leon C. Megginson
We can either adapt to the changes presented to us, or get mired in what "used to be" and fail to progress. We can let fear freeze us, or we can continue to trudge onward through uncertainty and trepidation, regardless of how many detours we might be forced take during our path of adaptation. Adaptation requires the ability to remain somewhat unattached to past experiences as well as future outcomes. We are asked to face the challenges that are immediately before us, and tackle them one by one.
Ancient yogic texts refer to non-attachment as "Aparigraha." Non-attachment can refer to things, people, places, and times such as past/future. Aparigraha encourages us to live in the now. When we live in the now, we are more likely to find Santosha, a Sanskrit word that means "contentment."
Wow, how powerful and useful are our yogic teachings right now, huh?!?
I won't presume to know exactly what each of you are going through during this time, but I do know what it feels like to feel scared, unsure, and out of balance. We can acknowledge all of that discomfort without getting over-burdened by the weight of it all. How are you doing it?
