If you’re reading this, it is possible that you’ve had quite a difficult week as well. It is possible that you were cheering on the marathon runners with us or in lock down with the community on Friday. It is possible that you know people who were directly in harm’s way at the finish line or in the aftermath of the days that followed. Whether you were here or far, I know you’ve shared the shock, sadness, fear and anger. As well as the hope, bravery, and love by spectators, strangers, and law enforcement.
I have been in the throws of this with my family, much like many of you. It is exhausting. When my children ask the hard questions, I have no easy answers to give.
It is not a popular position I’m offering today. I could emphasize that more people ran towards the explosions to help victims than ran away. I could talk about the incredible depth of commitment, dedication and courage of medical professionals and law enforcement. I could mention the strong will and determination of the residents of this amazing city.
These are all very true and thoroughly important, and make it possible for me to sit here and write to you from the safety of my home. Though I’m seriously grateful for these heroic acts seen and unseen, it is not my emphasis today.
Although we are fortunate to live in a relatively safe place, I feel acutely aware of how fragile life is. It can be radically changed in an instant. There are no guarantees, even as much as we safeguard and bomb-sweep, bullet-proof, and security-check. This truth is unnerving.
Knowing that living means being vulnerable, it is crucial, now more than ever, to deepen our resolve to our own peace of mind. A few thoughts:
Set your mind to Find the joy in the little moments of your life. It will be harder to do sometimes than others, but the key is to keep your intention on feeling joy and abundance.
Communicate to those special people in your life that they are special to you. You may think they know it, but by articulating it directly you stand to deepen the openness and trust in your relationships.
Forgiving ourselves and others is not easy to accomplish, but it can make you feel 10 pounds lighter. Even a trickle of forgiveness can eventually open new and healthy pathways.
Use your technology, rather than being used by it. Even slightly less texting, twittering and emailing could improve the quality of your presence.
Reduce stress when it grips you by literally taking a “mini-break”-this could be as simple as closing your eyes for five minutes and focusing on your breathing. It could be as epic as planning that trip that you’ve always longed to take.
Systematically Shake off tension by doing an energetic yoga practice, meditating, or connecting to nature/source/divinity. Then you are aligned with your true nature, which is truly brilliant.
This is your life. You can live it with fear and holding back, or you can pull out the stops and live each minute with even more vibrance and passion than ever before. In the face of heinous acts, we redouble our resolve to live with greater purpose and deeper love. The time to make it happen is now, and the way to do this, is together.