Coronavirus: The Importance of Healing

While this outbreak has knocked us out of our regular scheduled programming, enabled a worldwide recession, and has thousands of people sick or worse— dead, the Earth is actually healing. So why aren’t you?

Now that we have all the time in the world that we ever could have asked for, or maybe have pleaded for in the past, it is now HERE. For all of us. Many “inspirational” posts say this is the time to work on your side hustles, work on your dreams, and maybe some projects that have been way on the back burner (shade to myself). And while you have the time, what are you doing? Scrolling between Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok more than those other things.

While you may believe these dreams and hustles may be the key to your “happiness,” there are still blockages there keeping you from doing all that you want. We are all f*cked up. Period. But the experiences that formed us, the hurt that continues to exist, although we believe it’s buried, does still show up in the way we move without us even being conscious of it. And sure, maybe certain people have consciously or even without trying, created this underlying hurt, but that is no justification. Once you are conscious of the way you move, you have to do the work to change. Then no one else is to blame if you don’t.

Going back to my point, maybe you’re afraid to start on a new venture because you fear failure, why is that? Maybe you seek validation in people so you end up in hurtful situations, why is that? Everything has a root. Once you figure out what this is to its core you can begin to heal and in turn, move differently.

In my case, the last year and a half I had to do a lot of inner work to be able to come to a head and learn acceptance so I could be able to issue forgiveness for a number of situations. This is just the start in my healing so I can move on with my life. Maybe you’re not ready yet to go on this journey, and that’s okay, but I challenge you to try even one exercise below just to open your curiosity about your own self. You will thank yourself later, and years from now. Trust me.

• Write a letter to your inner child: This is by far the most challenging, but you will find your roots clearly. This is you writing to your childlike self as the adult you are today. Validating all the experiences, good or bad, that you never got the chance to hear from who mattered most. Now all that matters is hearing you say it.
• Write a list of the things you want to let go of: This is where you can write out the things holding you back in the way you move. For example a few on my list to let go are, “my moving pains, and the fear of not doing enough.” Just to name a few.
• Write the absolute dealbreakers you have when dating: If you’ve been having a negative time in the dating world, write out a list of things you hope to find in a person. Then highlight the absolute dealbreakers. Ask yourself, “Do I have everything I am asking for in a person?” Reflect on this. Maybe you don’t boo, but now you can work on it.
• Write a list of your core values and your core lies: Your core values are self explanatory, but your core lies are the negative things you tell yourself or believe about yourself. These may be things you think are true, but you know deep down inside they are not. For example some of mine are, “People leave because of me, and I will never get married because of my familial past.”
• Write a list of affirmations: If you complete the previous bullet point then this will be super simple to write out your most necessary ones. I have a list of 35. Have at it. Or— you can also look up affirmations online. But don’t take the easy way out sucka!
• Listen to podcasts: While this can be timely, all you have is time anyways so go ahead and do it lol. Podcasts are dope, all you do is listen! (I would say if a podcast really moves you, you can try to reflect and write about how it relates to you. Use it as knowledge. Some of my favorites are Con Todo: Brown Love, Dead Ass with Khadeen and Devale Ellis, and Where To Now? with Malanda Jean-Claude.)
• Write a list of what you love, hate, are neutral with, and want to change about yourself: Give yourself grace so you can realize and acknowledge the physical, emotional, and mental things you keep tabs on yourself for. While you want to acknowledge whatever things you may think you “hate,” the point is to highlight what you really love, what you’re “whatever” about, and most importantly, what you can actually change.
• Do an autopsy of a relationship: Now hear me out, this may be a little time consuming, and the intro song may have you dying laughing lol, but if you’ve been needing to heal from some form of a relationship whether this is with family, a romantic partner, an old friend, or with an old job, this can give you all the perspective you may need in order to do so. (Remember only YOU can close the loop, no one else). Pause for each question, answer, and reflect. I promise you’ll shed what you don’t need anymore.

It’s a lot to process I know. Take things one day at a time, but overall understand that we all have the same access to healing. The question is, are you willing to figure out what tools you need to do so?