Tao Te Ching
22nd Verse

The flexible are preserved unbroken.
The bent become straight.
The empty are filled.
The exhausted become renewed.
The poor are enriched.
The rich are confounded.

Therefore the sage embraces the one. 
Because he doesn't display himself,
people can see his light.
Because he has nothing to prove,
people can trust his words.
Because he doesn't know who he is,
people recognize themselves in him.
Because he has no goal in mind,
everything he does succeeds.

The old saying that the flexible are preserved unbroken is surely right!
If you have attained wholeness,
everything will flock to you.

A lot has happened this last week and in the process, our daily lives have been forced to change. The pandemic has caused a lot of things we enjoy to come to a halt and the shelves of grocery stores are often empty. It is during a time like this where we have to learn to adapt to our constantly changing conditions. In doing so we are able to better appreciate the quality of life we still maintain. I offer you the 22nd verse of the Tao te Ching, a passage that urges not only how crucial flexibility can be in times like these but in life in general.

We live in a society that promotes constantly working and moving forward, so it is situations like these where we don’t exactly know what to do or how to gauge our productivity. This verse discusses the importance of developing patience for your life. It is easy for us to create timelines and plan out the future but when something like this throws a wrench in our plans, it can be tough to adjust physically and mentally.

This happened for me two years ago when I first became sick and honestly, living in quarantine now isn’t much different from how I have been living. I’m upset that you now have to live like this, but the first thing I learned when I got sick was to work on myself and my attitude for the moment. This is what has allowed me to go with the flow and enjoy life more fully even though I was not being productive in the ways that I was used to.

I soon found that the less I was trying to force in my life, like making a premature move back into the real world, and the more I focused on simply doing what I could do in the present moment, the more I learned. This allowed me to learn valuable skills that extend well outside of any quarantine.

First, let’s go over a couple of things you can still do while you practice social distancing. There’s so many things in life you can still enjoy!

  1. Learn a new skill: This could be anything from meditation to magic. Now you have more than enough time for this.
  2. Read a book: most of the time we don’t have time to do this but now we have the opportunity to just sit down on the couch and relax.
  3. Clean up: Clean up your apartment or house! I promise doing this will help clear your mind and make it feel more open in your residence.
  4. Catch up with old friends: You may have been meaning to call a friend of yours for some time but never get around to it. Nows your chance.
  5. Tour a Museum: Yup, that’s right. Over 2,500 museums are now available for virtual touring during this time. Here’s a link to a few.
  6. Journal: Spending time journaling allows you to work on yourself during a stressful time like this. It is shown to help relieve stress and bolster creativity.
  7. Learn to cook: With online classes and YouTube tutorials available, now’s your chance!

The list is really endless as to what you CAN do and by focusing on that, I can tell you from experience that you’ll certainly appreciate this time more than if you look at what you can’t do. Everything you do now, every habit you instill, will become that much more prevalent in your life when this quarantine is over. Yes, we’re not able to do exactly what we want to but we are now forced to do exactly what we need to do. Find the methods to create space in your mind now and you’ll be prepared for anything in your life. To end today’s post, I will guide you through a meditation on gratitude to help you feel exactly how much you still have going for you.

Meditation on Gratitude:

By now I’m sure you might be missing some things in life like hanging out with friends, going out, or just going to a fully stocked grocery store where toilet paper is abundant. However, if you focus on the things you can’t do, I promise this quarantine experience will be much tougher than it needs to be. Instead, focus on what you CAN still do and what you’re still grateful for in your life.

Have a seat, close your eyes, place one or both hands on the center of your chest and take a couple of deep breathes to center yourself in this moment. Now I want you to start thinking of things that truly make you happy. This could be anything from your dog, to seeing a friend, to tasting one of your favorite dishes, or simply seeing a sunrise. I want you to focus your attention on the way this makes your heart feel. It should feel lighter, warmer and more open to the moment as you do this.

As you continue to go through things that make you happy, you’ll notice that you start to feel better and better with each one. Focus on the feeling of it all. Do this for as long as you’d like but I’d recommend at least 5 minutes. After doing this you’ll feel happier about your current situation and in turn be able to make the most of it,

Finally, I’d like to thank you guys for practicing good habits like social distancing and washing your hands often. For people like me with a compromised immune system as well as the elderly, we might not be able to fight this virus on our own if we got it, so I truly appreciate you and all your efforts to curb the effects of this pandemic. Stay safe and I love you!

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