Creating the Narrative for the Stay At Home Directive
Focusing Attention on Opportunities Within Boundaries
Several girlfriends encouraged me to write a piece on some of my strategies for the Stay At Home directive. I begin with deep appreciation and gratitude for the blessed life I am living and recognizing that social distancing is a privilege, staying in my own home with my family is a privilege, having nature out my front door is a privilege, internet and online schooling is a privilege, safety is a privilege, and soap and food are privileges that won’t be afforded to so many in the US and around the globe.
Still, the day-to-day challenges that come with social distancing and self-isolation are real, and what I’ve decided to focus on is Steven Covey’s Sphere of Influence vs. Sphere of Concern, and put energy toward where I have power- with myself, my family and those connected to me. While there is a lot of uncertainty, for now I’m holding that I get to create the narrative for my family and me. What is my intention for holding all of this? Here is a poem that resonates with me:
Don’t Hesitate
If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the
case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.
–Mary Oliver
Let us see how we can create moments of joy and meaning in the confines of our walls.
CREATING THE NARRATIVE FOR “STAY AT HOME”: OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN BOUNDARIES
In the martial art Aikido, one of the main principles is to move where you can, rather than where you can’t. If your opponent has your arm, don’t focus there and resist it, but rather bring your awareness to all the other places that are open and make your next move there.
This is how I have been feeling about the “Stay at Home” directive. I could spend my energy resisting and being angry and sad about what is so-- that my girls aren’t going back to school this year, I can’t visit with friends, our April vacation to a warm beach is off… all of it. But to help me move through this grief (please check this out On Grief), my next move is to focus on what I can do, rather than what I can’t do. In many ways, boundaries are crucial for creativity. The structure of a Haiku is what makes it so powerful, brainstorming can be helped by setting parameters of time, and “Stay at Home” boundaries give me new territory in which to focus-- the four walls of our home.
I believe I can have huge influence over the narrative I create for my family on how they will later look at the Covid-19 crisis. What do I want them to remember? Certainly not just the sibling squabbles, boredom, and frustrations. I’d actually like them to look back at this and say there were some fun things we did, and it was a special time in some ways (though they’ll probably never admit it until they’re adults).
So here are a few examples of what we’re doing in hopes that it might spark some ideas that feel doable for you and the loved ones in your life.
Family Fun (or Forced Family Fun as it may be). Each member of the house is responsible for leading one evening family activity per week. It could be as simple as choosing a game of Scrabble, or more creative-- one of my daughters came up with an Aubrey (our dog) trivia game on Aubrey’s birthday. (Our younger daughter won, as Jon and I had no idea Aubrey had a favorite color). I had a fancy dinner where everyone dressed up and spoke in bad British accents all night. (Our elder daughter surprised us wearing her prom gown as it seems that’s off this year). And Jon has been using his evenings to show old family videos when the kids were little, which we all love. We take lots of photos of these events- it will help with the memories later on.
“What I wouldn’t have done today if it weren’t for Covid-19”- Each night at dinner, we write down one thing we wouldn’t have done if it weren’t for the pandemic. They can be simply be a record of where in the pandemic we are, from “Had first zoom class” to “Saw a raccoon, a fox and a deer” (Younger daughter as she spent much of the day doing homework in our cozy chair that looks out toward the forest).
Physical Challenge- We have a pull-up bar that’s been used more for hanging laundry recently- so Jon had us do a baseline pull-up contest, and now everyone gets money for each additional pull-up they can do. We’ve got a weekly mandatory hike (with lunch and treats on top, taking photos when they’re smiling) and I am trying to learn one hard yoga pose.
Individual goals-I relooked at my Sabbatical List (as I wrote about here) and realized I had quite a few things that I still want to do but didn’t prioritize last year, and which don’t require me going anywhere: reading, gardening, cleaning out the garage, etc. There are new opportunities as much of the world has opened its doors to take online courses, watch a Broadway show, etc. And then there’s the opposite- your goal could be to do less, to sit with a cup of tea more frequently. It’s up to you. Putting intention to it can be powerful. The thing that I learned from my sabbatical, though, is that you can’t do them all. Pick one that really interests you right now, and keep the others on the list as a “could do” for the future. No added stress needed, the intention is to just offer a little focus.
Here-link to other blog on sabbatical NEED
Relationships- We all know how important this is now: Regular phone call check-ins, virtual happy hours with long-distance friends, walk and talks with friends (where we’re each in our own neighborhood taking a walk and talking on the phone), help me feel connected. And having a couple of coordinated family activities like movie night where things are positive helps to counter the moments of friction.
At work, we can also influence the narrative:
It is about what we pay attention to and highlight. I am working with an ER Nurse Manager at a hospital and we spoke about the importance of highlighting the wins and small positive moments that make it worthwhile. At work, to recognize the effort people put in to make one’s office go virtual. In The Power of Moments, by Dan Heath (see the video excerpt below)- he speaks about the importance of creating or noting peak moments as what influences how things are remembered. How can you create a couple of peak moments in your work now?
To close, I remember the first time I saw footage of the Italians out on their balconies singing, I was moved to tears. Such a simple, amazing example of turning toward what they could do in the boundary of the four walls. While it may be bumpy and difficult at times, I believe it is in our power to create our personal narrative and to find meaning in all of this.
Great Link
This is a quick, engaging clip that illustrates why and how to create “peak moments” rather than just fixing potholes. From The Power of Moments by Dan Heath. (4:23)
Quarterly Quote
The boundary to what we can accept is the boundary to our freedom. –Tara Brach
Book Review
This quarter go ahead and pick what you want, rather than what you think you “should” read. Let this be a time to read what calls to you, an inspiring biography, a juicy romance, a tough historical book you’ve wanted to read, a fond book from your childhood. What will draw you in when you’ve had enough scrolling through social media in the evenings? Enjoy!
P.S. Here are a few titles I highly recommend:
Beyond The Sky And The Earth: A Journey Into Bhutan by Jamie Zeppa –page-turning travel memoir.
Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory by Deena Kastor –inspiring and intimate look inside the mind of an Olympic marathon runner.
The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff- historical fiction centered around three women and a ring of female secret agents during World War II.
The Five Things We Cannot Change and The Happiness We Find By Embracing Them by David Richo- offers concrete suggestions for finding peace and meaning in these difficult times.