Simplicity continues to be my word for this month, as we navigate our way one day at a time through these dark and difficult days. Like many others, I have severely limited my news intake, ensuring that I know enough to be sensible and safe and aware, but not so much that my head is filled with negativity, fear and mental noise.
Simplicity keeps me grounded in small and simple things that enable me to live well and kindly today.
That is enough.
Simplicity also allows me to take responsibility.
Taking responsibility is an oft-repeated refrain of mine. And it ties in with simplicity because simplicity gives me courage to see what I CAN do rather than being utterly overwhelmed by all that I cannot.
The theme of needing to take responsibility came to my attention in relation to the pandemic from two extraordinary sources this week: the World Health Organisation and the Pope.
Dr Mike Ryan from the WHO Health Emergencies Program said this:
The virus does not have a brain. We’re the ones with the brains.”
Simple, but profound truth. His colleague Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the COVID-19 Techincal Lead (imagine the responsibility of having that job…..) went on to say this:
Right now we have tools that can stop transmission. Everybody on the planet needs to understand that they have a role to play. No matter where you live, no matter what occupation you have, no matter what age you are, you can be part of breaking the chains of transmission.”
You can see the wee clip here.
Now I am not getting all preachy on you. I don’t have the right. But I think the WHO have a reasonable right to remind us of our own personal responsibility in doing what we can, what is within our powers to improve this ghastly situation.
The Pope on his New Year’s day message talked about those who do what they can, using the well known story of the Good Samaritan. Meaning can be found in the midst of this pandemic:
…that of arousing compassion in us and provoking attitudes and gestures of closeness, care and solidarity.”
We can all choose to do that – to care, to show solidarity, to go that extra mile “to make the burden of this trial more bearable to others”.
Take responsibility for what is in your head.
In the midst of all the negativity, fear and anxiety surrounding us, this is another important choice. We take responsibility for the direction our thoughts take us in. We and we alone choose what is in our heads. As this wee article says, “Nobody can push your buttons because you are the button-maker!”.
Imagine choosing each day to focus on what is good, true, noble, right, lovely, admirable and praiseworthy. Imagine how different your day will be.
Of course that is not to deny all that is around us that is difficult, painful, ugly, wrong, hurtful, distasteful. But when we fill our minds only with such things (back to limiting news intake) we rapidly spiral down into a dark and anxious place.
There is always something around us to notice that is praiseworthy – be it the sacrificial and heartfelt service of someone on the frontline or a teacher you know, a simple smile and kind gesture from a friend or stranger, a beautiful sunset.
Our responsibility is to choose what we think about and to let that dictate our mental well being. This in turn prompts us to more readily show kindness and generosity to those around us as we share the good rather than being trapped in the bad.
Those words of endorsement to think about what is good etc? Oh yes, they were originally written in the Bible, in the book of Philippians. But whether you have a faith basis or not, these words stand the test of time and make plain common sense.
So this week, each day choose simply to take responsibility for what you can DO and what you can THINK.
And may you know peace and hope each day.