Joy in Unusual Circumstances
A silver lining can be found everywhere. This is not news to most of us, we’ve all heard the cliche and we know it intrinsically, but we often forget to apply these old wisdoms to our modern lives.
Today I was watching an older man in the park, out for his lockdown workout. In fact, many others were watching him, rather blatantly with their mouths gaping open. What was intriguing about this man was he was doing a workout that involved shaking the wrists vigorously and wiggling erratically like electricity was going through his body. He’d stop, pause with some deep breathing and repeat.
I tuned in to why he might be doing this - and what we might learn from him. Perhaps it was his way of warming up. Perhaps he was overjoyed to be outside and was literally shaking off any depressive effects of the lockdown.
Perhaps it was a latest yoga tradition that the rest of us hadn’t cottoned onto yet. In fact, during the deep breathing part of his ritual, his hands were folded in mid-air over his solar plexus area, reminding me of a specific Qi Gong stance that is said to settle the chi. Also, a dear friend of mine (who tries many of the quirky self-help activities out there), has mentioned “shaking” as a spiritual discipline.
So perhaps this man was following a particular tradition, as it was all very methodical and he definitely had the poise of a Shaolin monk! I even commented to some of the gawkers nearby that I’d be very grateful if I could move that fast when I get to his age.
Either way, this interesting activity brought inspiration to my heart - I reflected that no matter what age we are and what limitations we may have, we can choose to enjoy our world and environment in a way that feels right for us, not fearing to “dance like no one’s watching” and just be ourselves.
We live in an unusual time and it brings out many opportunities for reflection. Looking for the endless good everywhere is imperative at this time, for example seeing people’s quick response to sign petitions for the plight of Afghanistan. The collections for struggling communities like Bali who have become accustomed to relying mainly on tourism. Others in our locally community insisting on supporting their street-front retailers with high rents whenever the shops are allowed to open. Even the lockdown dances on Tiktok in the early days of Covid-19 have helped many lift their spirits.
Human ingenuity and a capacity for creativity is within us all. There are so many tools we can use for our well-being practises. So, if you’re struggling on this day/week/month, here is some homework:
Find an activity that brings you joy, no matter how amusing or dull it may seem to others. It need not cost much. Enjoy it - and repeat whenever you can.
Gift something random to someone else. And I mean literally a random item that may bring a smile to their face, it may well buy your recipient moments of happiness to break up any heaviness they’re living with, as we’re all feeling it in some way. I can’t tell you how many things I’ve posted to people during this time including the daggiest postcards I could find to friends overseas and interstate who love that sort of thing and a set of those hilarious wind-up chomping teeth that skitter across the table on little feet (a private joke, bringing laughter to the recipient, as intended).
All of these things were well-received and I must admit, I had a blast posting them off, hoping they’d make someone’s day. Unusual times call for unusual forms of fun!
Now, I understand devastating events in certain countries certainly outweigh the pressures felt by those of us in situations with more freedoms - and this may not be my deepest, most serious post, but it is written with the reminder that indulging in a little fun certainly has its place in combatting the shadows and works wonders for the soul, when appropriate. Go on, try it!
