Find Your Footing – While Living in Limbo

Here I go again…changing my mind. I had written a blog post already, but something was holding me back from publishing it. There’s nothing wrong with the post. It just doesn’t feel like the right time.

There are so many questions in this world of uncertainty, and too many unknown answers. Are we getting out too soon? Will there be another serious outbreak of Coronavirus? Will we have to live this way the rest of our lives?

While there’s a bit more hope, with things opening up again,  there’s still an aura of trepidation. So, the cloud continues to loom over us, even when there are occasional peeks of sunshine.

As someone who likes to focus on the sunshine, there are times when the clouds overwhelm, and I just can’t muster that positive spirit.

It’s like we’re all caught in limbo and can’t seem to find solid footing again.

I hate being in limbo! I like to make a decision and move forward. Even if I make a wrong decision, you can still deal with the consequences or aftermath of that. But being in limbo feels like you’re in a wind tunnel, being batted about like a rag doll, with nothing to grasp on to so you can find solid ground.

So, what to do with these uncertain days?

Well, I don’t mean to sound cliché, but I think we try to control what we can control and leave the rest up to God. Yeah, much easier said than done. And believe me, I’m not much of an expert at the moment.

I definitely have my down days. I have my drift days, as I like to call them. Days that drift by and I haven’t accomplished anything.

But right now, I don’t want to drift. It’s important to stay focused. Whether you’re working from home or not. If you’re out of work, or have time on your hands, isn’t it a good time to learn something new? Do the project you’ve been putting off? Learn a new skill? Go back to school? (On-line universities are great!). Or get back to your old hobbies that you haven’t made time to do. I like crocheting, and am still doing that. Currently, I’m learning new crochet stitches, and am making scarves using what I’ve learned. (Yep, as we head into summer, it’s a perfect time to make winter scarves! Hee hee).

I also love painting resin figurines. My granddaughter is inspiring me to paint again, as she likes to paint side-by-side with me. Besides creating special moments together, she’s helped rekindle my love for painting.

And like a lot of people, my weight has been fluctuating while we’ve been sheltering-at-home. So, I’m exercising more, and that helps a lot! I’m still snacking a bit too much, as I start to pay attention again to what I eat, that will settle down sooner rather than later.

Now, if you think I’ve just made these decisions and it’s all a breeze, well, you’d be wrong. I have to be intentional. And right now, being intentional can seem like too much of an effort. It’s not.

The other day, I had the blues for sure. Didn’t feel like doing anything. But I had a healthy to-do list, so I prayed, then made myself sit down and tackle that list. It wasn’t easy. But as I crossed more things off, I got into a groove, and that felt good. To accomplish something felt good. I didn’t feel like exercising either, but I did, and it turned out to be a good exercise day. I was glad I put in the effort, and now I have more motivation to keep going.

Our days are going to be uncertain for a while yet. And for me personally, I can’t keep living in limbo. So, I’m going to do what I can do, within the boundaries of my own little world. By doing that, maybe I’ll find my footing, and it will feel less and less like I’m living in limbo.

What about you? Do you have ideas on how to get through this time of uncertainty? I’d love to hear from you.

Uncertainty

I’m not sure what to write these days. This post is a day late already.

Right now, the world is dealing with the Coronavirus, more formally known as Covid-19. And part of me wants to be cautious and not fall into panic mode. And part of me is nearly rolling my eyes at all of the hysteria out there. However, I don’t want to be stupid about this.

I know folks who have underlying health issues and this can be serious. So, please know, I’m not trying to underestimate the situation. However, panic accomplishes NOTHING. We don’t make smart decisions in panic mode.

So, since the theme on TalkingAmongFriends.com this week seems to be finding the balance, then that’s what we need to do when the world goes crazy (whether we’re right or wrong in the decisions being made right now).

It’s time to find the balance between caution and hysteria. This whole thing almost seems too surreal, like a bad Hollywood movie. Yet, here we are.

I have two pieces of advice:

First, take a breath. Slow down. Don’t get sucked in to media hysteria, but find as much factual information as you can, then make the best decisions you can make for you and your family. Do the best you can and leave the rest to God.

And that leads to advice item #2: Pray. God isn’t surprised by any of this. And no matter what happens, I have faith in him. I pray for the virus to stop. I pray that our economy stays strong or bounces back quickly. But mostly, I pray for family, friends and neighbors. Maybe through all of this craziness and uncertainty, we can find ways to connect with our family and friends. We can help our neighbors if they haven’t been able to get to the grocery store.

We can trust that God has this under control.