I have been thinking a lot about safety, since the surging of the Delta variant. When I got my vaccine back in March, I felt a wonderful sense of security that had been missing for the past 12-14 months. I started to feel like I could go out and be around people again.
Now, with the new surge, and the possibility of breakthrough cases or of being a carrier even without symptoms, my world has shut down again. I will only be around people who are vaccinated, and if I do go out, I will only go to places where I can be outdoors. That is not easy, especially in the heat we are experiencing. But we need people. We are not islands. So, when someone invites me somewhere, my first question is “are you vaccinated?” and my second question is, “can we sit outside?” If the answer to either of these questions is “NO” I will put off getting together until cases come down again.
Fortunately, there are enough people in my circle that have been fully vaccinated. If we don’t want to sit outside, we can still get together at someone’s home. I do feel ok about that.
What I feel particularly sad about is how the surge and the refusal to be vaccinated is causing a further division in our population. The vaccinated vs. the unvaccinated. And so much anger. On both sides.
Hey, Boomer is about possibilities and opportunities and living your best life. I use the hashtag #livingmybestlife in all my posts. I truly believe I am living my best life. Each day it is a conscious decision. Things come up that annoy me and upset me. That is normal. It is at those time that I remind myself of what I am grateful for. I have written about gratitude before. It is a wonderful tool when we need to recenter ourselves.
In coaching I learned about different levels of energy and how some detract from our wellbeing and others expand our wellbeing. The level of anger is a detractor. It actually works on a molecular level and harms our bodies physically. The neutral level is where we rationalize. We may look at the surge and tell ourselves that we know how to stay safe, and this too shall pass.
A higher level of energy is where we look at possibilities. Today I took a 2 mile walk and listened to a motivating podcast. I had time to work on my tomato plants and do some clean up in my garden. I was able to meet with a new friend, outdoors in the sweltering heat. We were the only crazy people sitting outside, but what a great time we had. Writing this blog is an opportunity to share my thoughts with you and maybe get you thinking about raising your energy level to possibility thinking.
Focus where you can do the most good. That will also raise your energy level. You are all special, important people to me, and I appreciate that you are part of the Hey, Boomer community. Stay safe, get vaccinated, find the possibilities in your day, and Live Your Best Life.
Love it! Thanks for the great show and uplifting share. I am currently reading/listening to Marianne Williamson’s The Law of Divine Compensation. It, along with the Secret and A Course in Miracles, step out how to raise your energy and live your best life. It’s an awesome feeling and helps you to lift your own energy and those around you. Imagine a world where everyone did this. Awesomeness! Thanks for all you do!
I will look for that book Heidi. Thanks for the tip.
you are both so inspiring! Thank you.
Love wins—and I send you both my love.
Mom
Thanks for capturing what I feel with respect to the un-vaccinated. I told an old friend the other day, “I guess I won’t be seeing you again,” as he refuses to do his part for the common good.
I hate wearing a mask and it makes me angry that I have to because of the anti-vaxers. We were doing so well, and were returning to a somewhat normal life where I could mix and mingle again. Now that is postponed for who knows how long?
So what do we do with our anger? How do we channel the anger into something positive? I want to be a kind and gentle person, but am losing patience with the anti-vaxers. Suggestions?
With love, because life is too short for anything less,
Larry
Larry, it is so easy to get caught up in the anger. If you follow my FB personal page, I expressed some anger the other day about the lack of beds for people who come in with strokes or from a car accident because all the beds are taken up by Covid patients. But I realize it is anger directed at something I cannot control. I cannot control how other people feel about getting vaccinated. All I can control is myself. I can control my choices of who to be around. I can focus on what is good in my life. I can choose to #livemybestlife. It doesn’t always work, for sure, but it is better than letting the unvaccinated control my anger!
But your question is bigger than this. You ask how do we channel the anger into something positive? We know that we always feel better when we help others. That is what we do as coaches, it is what keeps us going. Are there people or animals or others that may need a friend right now, a mentor, a guide? Could you already be providing love and care just because that is who you are, and you are not recognizing that you are doing it. Thanking the people at the grocery store, appreciating the first responders, the teachers, the health care workers. What do you think? How can you channel the anger into something positive?
Thank you Wendy. I appreciate you sharing and agree that it is disconcerting that we seem to be moving somewhat backwards with the delta variant spreading among the unvaccinated. I have started wearing my mask inside stores and restaurants- when I go in and out of one. I was getting used to not wearing one too. i will be attending a family wedding and helped convince my nephew’s friend to get vaccinated before he flies out here. He will be fully vaccinated when he comes. I will be going with them so am grateful. i attended the shower and it was held outdoors under canopy area. But at the wedding, I will not know if all are vaccinated. I feel funny asking someone i don’t know well. Anyway, most of my friends I see are and am glad. To stay upbeat, I limit news watching, read spiritual readings in a.m. after waking, and write grateful statements in journal. i enjoy watching my flower plants grow, reading, word searches, watching impactful movies. i recommend HERE TODAY, 2021 with Billy Chrystal and Tiffany Haddish, it deals with dementia. I rented it. Very good. I read positive and inspiring quotes daily too. Every little bit helps.
Josephine, I appreciate your comments and thank you for the recommendation for the Billy Chrystal movie. I love him. It sounds like you are doing so many positive things for yourself. Makes me happy to read that. You will know how to care for yourself at the wedding and good job on convincing your nephew’s friend to get vaccinated!