WEATHER this Quarantine
What does quarantine mean to you?
There is so much uncertainty, anxiety and worry with regard to Covid-19. Not much is within our power other than prevention through social distancing, washing our hands and wearing a mask. How do you intend to weather this period because we cannot seem to cuss it out?
Well, personally, Bob Marley’s wise words have been keeping me calm. “Don’t worry ‘bout a thing, cause every little thing’s gonna be alright”
This got me thinking on ways to best kill time while social distancing. Maybe you are with your family or stuck in your rental alone and don’t even know what day of the week it is. I mean, during these uncertain times, there is not much to do and it is best to stay indoors as WHO advised. To extroverts it’s an aaargh period!!! Moments like these, they dread because they do not know how to spend time in solitude or still.
Well, here is a challenge for us all, introverts and extroverts alike. Let us celebrate the greatest love we should practice. No, it is not love for God or your parents or your friends. I am talking of the love of self. Make this period about loving yourself. Besides, you cannot love others until you truly love yourself. It does not matter if you are holed up alone or in a ‘mad house’ and cannot seem to find a minute to be alone.
Practice self-love, and not just feeling happy and satisfied, and treating yourself well, but radically, head-to-toe adoring and celebrating everything that you are! Practice the type of self love that sweeps you off your feet, turns your world upside down and feels good deep down in your very cells. The type that shakes things up, moves out the junk out, and harnesses the innate power you possess when you totally and completely love. You may view self-love in the same light as being conceited or self-centered, and it can be, but I am talking about the kind of self-love that means respect for yourself, harmony with yourself, and a genuine appreciation for who you are.
Though self-love is not something that you wake up with one morning, it can be cultivated and should be defended when is challenged. Self-love is acceptance of your failings and flaws while embracing your talents and beauty. Self-love is taking care of your health, paying attention to your emotions and being truly present in your relationships. Self-love is an understanding of what you deserve as a human being and, indeed, what you do not deserve. Self-love is living your life like you want to be remembered, and doing the best you can, knowing that some days you can give your absolute best and some days you can only give a little.
Let us not think about love in terms of what we are getting from others and what we are giving to others. Instead, let us consider what are we giving to ourselves in terms of the choices that we make, the way in which we live our lives, and even the people we choose to surround ourselves with – the people we choose to love. And once this quarantine has passed, let us keep self-love in the right perspective and not get caught up in all the things that might make us question that we aren’t who we are supposed to be. I hope you will just take this as a reminder that you are loved and that you can and should be loved by you.
Once all is said and done, remember those who are in the forefront fighting this pandemic. If you would like to know how it feels to be them, imagine being part of the band that continued to play as the Titanic was sinking. But the Titanic we are not. And in the words of Sauti Sol, “..I’m certain brighter days are yet to come, ain’t no question that tomorrow there’ll be good times..”
Article by: E. King’ori – Rotaract Club of Muthaiga
