What is Bringing YOU Light? (Finding Snippets of Magic in the Dog Days of the Pandemic)

Hello everyone.

Life is kind of crazy these days still, right? People are approaching the pandemic in their own ways. Everyone is dealing with a different hand. We are all flooded with conflicting viewpoints and information. And that’s not even mentioning the white elephant in the room for parents, school!

Eik! Luckily this post is on the opposite end of that darkness. It is about LIGHT.

Recently I had an amazing conversation where I was asked a poignant question. I liked the question so much that I immediately sat down to capture it so I could share it with you (and remind myself of it again later too)!

Here is the question: “WHAT IS BRINGING YOU THE MOST LIGHT RIGHT NOW?”

This question is so powerful that I will ask it again. “What is giving you the most energy or light right now in your life?”

As parents, we are responsible for so much. Life stacks up on us every day. Then we stumble to bed, steal some sleep, wake up, and repeat! Over, and over and over. (It’s like we are living our own version of Groundhog’s Day, especially now!)

We take care of our jobs, our kids, the never-ending laundry, cleaning, cooking, snacks (how is it that it ALWAYS seems like it’s time to cook, eat or cleanup?!) Plus, now we are adding in school from home?! The list goes on…

We are swamped, inundated. We turn on the news and it is disheartening. There is so much wrong. We have so much work to do.

But, what if in this darkness we PAUSE? What if we pause to discover that tiny little gem in our day that gives us energy? What if we think about what is lighting us up inside, if only for a moment? If only to give us that added strength that we need to tackle all there is to tackle these days.

Maybe the answer is obvious- and it came to you as soon as I asked the question. Awesome! If not, no worries. Take a minute now to think about it now.

Ask yourself where do I find refuge? Where can I play, relax or find joy? (It’s ok if it’s ridiculously small or otherwise inconsequential. What matters is that it lights you up.)

Once you recognize what is making you feel the lightest, then you can make time for it. Hopefully this can help you slip in more uplifting moments and survive pandemic life!

With everything swirling around out there, I know I need to take some time to care for myself. If I don’t, I won’t have enough energy left to be there for my family.

It doesn’t have to be big or long. It doesn’t even have to be alone. Sometimes we are surrounded by kids and responsibilities all times, so we need to be able to find light in the presence of our family.

I needed someone to give me permission to find my energy-giving pursuits. I needed her to tell me, “Laura, it’s okay. Please find what is giving you energy and go after it, even if just for a little bit!”

Let me give YOU that permission too!

It is okay!

Please find what is giving YOU energy and GO after it! 

Be as big as you can in this hard time. Shine your light and share it with others so they can shine their light too. It’s like my friend Alex says, “It’s all about the ripple effect!”

I know right now doesn’t look anything like we expected. But let’s hunker down and pretend this is our winter. What can we create now that will be ready to bloom in spring? Let’s bring our light, share our energy, and lean on each other along the way.

Though we may be “socially distant” let’s stay connected and pump each other up. If you need pumping up reach out to me right now!

I know we all have magic inside us. Let’s give ourselves the time and space to let our light sneak out of us, even if all can manage is one tiny snippet at a time!

PS- Upon reflection I found that writing, connecting with others and being creative is bringing me light right now. I also am energized by playing and creating new games with my family for our #WeWriteTheStory2020 Challenge.  I would LOVE to hear what is bringing YOU light! So please reach out to me personally or share in the comments 🙂