Cracked but not broken

chirodrmatt ♦ April 29, 2020 ♦ 2 Comments

On my way to the office this morning, I was struck by the thought that the “forced simplification” period we are living under is beneficial to me, my loved ones, and the planet as a whole. I choose to view it as a reset- time taken from the ever-accelerating treadmill that indicates a successful life, and use this found time to change myself. I am looking inside rather than outside to reflect on my life and start deciding what the future will look like.

During turbulent times, of which this “pandemic” qualifies, my default position is one of patience. Rather spending every minute studying the latest headline or sound bite and trying to make sense of it, I realize that there is a good chance we can never fully understand this time and the effect it will ultimately have on our daily lives. My calmness comes from my faith that humanity and our planet will survive and that my part in the outcome depends on my focusing on what I can control. What can I control? The same things I can control at any other time:   What I put in my mouth, what thoughts I put in my mind, how I move, and my relationships with others. Being kind to ourselves and to others allows us to build resiliency and have a better chance of staying healthy. The activities contribute most to my feeling of being in control include: taking more time to eat quality foods, experimenting with different forms of exercise, and spending more time with my wife Mary and others in my quarantine orbit. I can also control how I come out of this interesting time. Do I hope for a return to LBTP (Life Before the Pandemic) or do I envision a BLAP Better Life After Pandemic)?

Since I believe that these pandemics are likely to occur in the future at regular intervals, I choose to think that we can learn and grow individually and societally to become more fully functional. This time has revealed many cracks in our way of life and we have choices: Continue allowing the cracks to deepen OR practice Kintsugi, the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery to make it more beautiful and valuable.

Let’s repair our broken places and heal each other!

Dr Matt