When there’s pain, hardship or discomfort our hard-wired tendencies are to resist: to fight it, to look for someone to blame, to turn and run the other way, or to just shut off altogether and avoid it.įrom an evolutionary perspective, the fight-flight-freeze response make complete sense. Meditation teaches us how to turn toward and be with the truth of each moment-pleasant or painful. It takes courage to be with things as they are. This is where all the effort we’ve put into meditation, mindfulness, and wisdom can start to pay off. I feel concerned, and I'm in touch with them almost daily.īut I don't feed the fear or let my mind move into panic. Two of them are stuck in Rome as I write (and have been for months now). Three of my own loved ones are in very high-risk categories. In the midst of such urgent danger, of course many of us are on high-alert. It means we have enough balance and wisdom so that we don’t freak out when things go haywire-or, perhaps even more importantly, so we don’t shut off in denial and pretend everything is okay.įor all of us alive today, this pandemic is unprecedented. It means we have the capacity to see clearly and self-soothe and during a crisis. It’s the willingness to be present and respond in spite of fear. If I were brave and courageous, I wouldn’t feel anxious, panicked or worried, we might think.īut courage isn’t the absence of fear. One of the greatest myths about courage is that it means not feeling afraid. The answer begins with an old-fashioned word that seems remarkably relevant today: courage. And fear is a natural, healthy response to danger.īut how can we resist giving in to overwhelm, letting panicked thoughts take over, or allowing the sirens of the news media infect our mind? We know intellectually that these kinds of reactions don’t help-but how can we actually prevent ourselves from falling under their sway?
There’s panic in the air and anxiety in our bones. If you’re worried (or worse), it’s understandable. “The virus is spreading… markets are crashing… schools are closed…” Each time we check our phones, a headline sends a current of energy rushing through us.
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