By Denise Everheart | Posted: June 04, 2020
As we move from the fear in quarantining to a whole other level of our ‘new’ normal, in addition to following all of the guidelines to prevent a second wave of coronavirus, what can we do to support, uplift and love each other? How can we be catalysts of change for the new normal we all find ourselves in? Here are some simple tips to help us all spread the love without spreading the virus:
1. SMILE. I remember after 9/11 how different the world was. People were nicer to each other, considerate, and extra kind. It was noticeably a different world, for at least a while. Leo Widrich writes in ‘The Science of Smiling: A Guide to the World’s Most Powerful Gesture’, “Smiling is definitely more than just a contraction of muscles in your face. In fact Mother Teresa’s “We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” reaches probably even further than imagined.” Even behind a mask, our eyes can convey a smile and make a difference!
2. SERVE. Community service and random acts of kindness not only uplift others, they contribute significantly to your own sense of well-being. YouTube channel, The Science of Happiness’ Random Acts of Kindness Triathlon video demonstrates the impact these acts have on our own happiness. Why does this matter? Who can change the world to be a better place, one who is down-trodden and self-centric or someone who is enthusiastic and kind?
Another memory related to 9/11 comes a few years after the catastrophic attack, with September 11 being a National Day of Service, I decided to create a more formal take on random acts of kindness by tying with a ribbon a small card to a flower stem stating, ‘This Random Act of Kindness is sponsored by The Art of Living Foundation in honor of our National Day of Service and in memory of 9/11’. The plan was for my friends and I to anonymously leave a flower on a car windshield wherever we found cars parked. As luck would have it, our first outing was during a significant autumn rain storm. Since these cards were printed on a home printer they would not survive even one drop of rain before bleeding and becoming illegible. I opted to visit a covered parking structure at a nearby hospital.
I must admit it was rather fun sneaking around and leaving flowers on windshields of cars of complete strangers. Since I had also included my phone number on the card, I wasn’t too surprised to receive a phone call later that evening. What was surprising, was what the caller shared. In between tears a woman said, “I cannot tell you how much your flower meant to me. My grandson was born today and had to be helivaced to another hospital for open heart surgery. When I saw that flower, I knew there was enough love in the world to bless Jacob.” For several years, on 9/11, I received calls from this grandmother sharing how Jacob had overcome so many surgeries and was thriving! She had also saved the now dried flower and card for his baby book as a keepsake. She thanked me again and again for being part of Jacob’s story and giving her the strength to get through those challenging times. Most of the time, we do not even know the impact of our actions. Challenge yourself to be creative with your kindness and see what comes of it.
3. CONNECT. During this time of sheltering in place, we have all probably received calls from people we were just too busy to stay in touch with, and hopefully in turn we also reached out and renewed relationships. Connection is a vital human need. Without connection we become depressed and even physically unhealthy. John Donne, said it best, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” Even with lessening the restrictions of social distancing, the need for Zoom calls is real! Keep calling and connecting across distances, small and great.
4. LOVE. Expressing love starts with self-love. How can you love someone when you don’t love yourself? Loving ourselves starts with self-care. The best tools for self-care begin with meditation and your breath. But what’s breath got to do with love and meditation? Breathing tools for the purpose of deep meditation release stresses which helps you to become a better person. When we come from a space of centeredness and more presence, contentedness blossoms and expressing love becomes more natural. Undoubtedly, the best breathing meditation is SKY, Sudarshan Kriya. With a myriad of benefits ranging from less depression to improved relationships, SKY cultivates that self-love and the expression of unconditional love that we all long for. To experience the power of breath for meditation, reserve your spot in this free online session, Beyond Breath. If you were fortunate enough to already practice SKY breath meditation during the pandemic, cling to your daily practice! It is a real life-saver and excellent tool for increasing love in your life and empowering you to be the change!
Denise Everheart is a freelance writer, meditation coach and recipe designer. Follow her @everheartstudio4meditation and @celeplateyourlife on Instagram.
