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No one knew
It would be like this
Cleft from routine
Loved ones
Friends
Even those we barely tolerated
And now miss in their familiarity.

No one realized
How hard it would be
To be forced to rest, immobilized
Wrestling our frenetic egos
To willingly lay down all that we relied on before
And learn to remain content with much less.

Never could we imagine
This pervasive, collective unease
And global amorphous fear
Of what will remain
For all of us
When we finally emerge from all of this.
Who will be left. And who won’t.

To think beyond what we cannot understand
And survive,
And emerge stronger,
We must turn toward it, let go
And look at it directly, honestly.
Allow the stillness
Discard the distractions
Let your fidgeting ego gradually unwind itself
And sit quietly. Look. And listen.

What comes from unimaginable things
Is sometimes a great gift:
How to see
How to be
How to accept what is
How to be honest
How to make friends with discomfort
And sometimes, finally glimpse what is possible
But had been hidden all this time.

Get ready for your future.
What will it be?

After all, it is you who is in charge.

Heather Shaff

Heather Shaff is a cyclist, writer, and mom based in Boston. She's fascinated by all things growth, motivation, and learning... and will drop everything for chocolate ice cream.

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