Sometimes Life has to throw a few obstacles in our way to get us headed on the right path.

For years I struggled to prioritize my self care. Though I longed for an early morning yoga practice, I also believed that this kind of "indulgence" was "just not possible." As long as I was expected to care for others, I told myself, my needs and desires would have to come last.

We're about to head into the next phase of this giant social experiment called How To Live Life In A Pandemic.

Like you, I'm anxious about how this will all play out. Like you, I'm frustrated at the continued restrictions on my ability to be in the world and connect with others. Like you, I'm overwhelmed by the decisions I have to make when there are so many unknowns, complications and what ifs.

In the midst of all this heightened uncertainty, though, I've come to know a place

This quote really resonated with me, as this past week I noticed I was rather impatient with my family. A lot of it was when they weren't listening to me or supporting me in the ways I needed. Nevertheless, I found I was letting those old “tapes” of I Don't Matter play again.

There was at least one interaction per day where a pause would have done a lot of good.

We all know, deep down, that the best gift we can ever give another person is our full presence.

Spending time with a person, listening deeply with empathy and a desire to "see" them, holding space without judgment for what they're experiencing... All of this lets a person know they are important and valued.

I just came across a post I'd shared during the early days of the quarantine. It was a list of the routines and approaches I was relying on to get me through the days with my sanity still in tact.

This is what I wrote then of my "survival rituals":