12 Gifts of COVID Part 2

Last week, we got into the spirit of Outrageous Gratitude and looked for the gifts of this Year of Years. If you missed part 1 of the 12 gifts, click here (if you want to read it, that is; if you’re ok with just part 2, then by all means don’t click. And congrats on your lack of FOMO!).

Talula made some guest appearances in Part 1, with her less evolved thoughts and contributions. She’s still in the corner, waiting to see if she’ll be needed for part 2. We’ll see.

So. The Gifts.

As I mentioned previously, there are a variety of metaphors that have emerged in our pandemical world that are disguised invitations to show up a little differently.

Here are a couple more for your consideration.

Gift #7

The Greeters. I don’t know if it’s the same where you live, but now, whenever you go into a shop or business around here, there’s someone there, standing guard. Sometimes they wear a white lab coat and carry a clipboard (as if you’re entering a lab, even though you’re just trying to get into Wilfred). Other times they’re in regular garb and have a clicker in hand. Perhaps there’s a walkie-talkie to communicate with the other clickers at different entrances. Often, they’re armed with an exceptionally large vat of hand sanitizer. It’s amazing how they wield all that stuff, really.

What’s nice is that they often say hello, even though they have so many other tasks to accomplish. They welcome you into the store. Personally, I feel a lot more welcome than I used to. And appreciated! There’s a whole lot more welcoming going on, generally, and I see this as a metaphor for being welcomed into the future with open arms. 

It’s like the future is employing these greeters as a way of saying, “Hey! Things are changing! And, yep, it’s a little weird… but come on in anyway. We’ve been making some improvements around here and it’s friendly.” So next time you see a greeter, think of it as the Universe saying, “Come on in! The future is indeed friendly.”

Gift #8

Arrows and Signage. So, after you’ve moved past the greeter and you’ve made it into the store, you’ve likely noticed a whole lot more signage. And arrows. Proprietors have made it very clear where you’re supposed to go and how you’re supposed to get there. 

I was in a German store the other day, and they had completely rearranged it to create one way traffic. It was amazing! And so efficient. Oh those Germans...

It seems like the invitation here is to go with the flow. Follow the signs and you’ll get through with efficiency and the least amount of effort. From a bigger perspective, follow the signs the Universe (or whatever word you prefer) is sending your way, and go in that direction. 

You don’t even have to know the final destination. Just go where the signs are pointing and all will be well.

(Talula thinks it’s important to share with you that I don’t always follow the arrows. Sometimes I don’t see them and other times, I don’t feel like walking 2 blocks to get what’s 2 steps down an aisle with an arrow pointing right at me. Yesterday, I even walked down a grocery store aisle backwards to get to what I needed without going the whole way around. Talula is satisfied that you now know that I don’t always follow my own advice.)

Gift #9

Speaking of not knowing where you’re going… there’s been a consistent invitation this year to let go of what makes good, logical sense. That makes this gift a lovely combo of Letting Go and Surrender.

There’s always a little game going on between the head and the heart. You could also say the players are the ego and intuition. 2020 has given us so many chances to follow the intuition and to let go of what the mind insists is right. 

For instance, I had all these structures in place in my business to attract clients. And pretty much none of them were doing that. So I let go of them, based on the feeling that it was time do that. Within a few months, I now find myself in a completely different position where clients are being given to me, without any of the effort I was putting in before.

Logically, that makes no sense, right? But cosmically, it makes perfect sense in that I was trying too hard and blocking up all the energy flow by *imagine squeezing every muscle in your body for this next statement* MAKING THINGS HAPPEN. 

When I let go of those busy-work activities, I made energetic space and the flow of what I wanted started to work with me.

What whispers have you been hearing that don’t seem to make logical sense? Would you let go of anything in the name of more ease and flow?

Gift #10

Amplification. This year has revealed a whole lot more of whatever has been hiding. As human consciousness continues to evolve, things rise to the surface so we can take a good look at them and see if that’s what we want more of. 

Some things that have been rising up for our human collective that have become really evident are hatred, divisiveness, a thirst for external power over others, the need to control outcomes and toxicity. At the root of all of these energies is fear.

2020 has been characterized by incredible amounts of fear. To me, it seems like it boils down to two main fears; the fear of death and the fear of not having lived. If you’ve been gripped by fear, worry, anxiety or paranoia this year, here are some questions to ponder. 

What are you actually afraid of? Is it worth spending so much time pouring energy into that fear? Do you want to continue living that way or is there another possibility?

I was listening to a talk by the spiritual and political leader, Marianne Williamson the other day and she shared a lot of valuable insights. She also said something I disagree with. She said that everyone is afraid of getting COVID.

When I checked in with that statement for myself, I found no fear. I’m not afraid of getting the flu. I spend so much time and energy every day devoting myself to health that I’m not afraid of getting sick.

For me, this year amplified what was underneath the surface in my life. Rather than fear, I experienced amplified joy, contentment, satisfaction, fulfillment, fun, wealth, love and prosperity. That’s because I work at it every day and I teach my clients to do the same thing.

The Great Pause invites you to take a look at what’s been amplified in 2020 and then see if you want more of that. If yes, keep doing what you’re doing. If no, it’s time for some changes.

Gift #11

Creativity and Possibility. Because this year has presented some obstacles, we humans have been asked to come up with new ideas, both on personal and societal levels. And man! Have there ever been some creative solutions! We’ve figured out how to keep education accessible, how to stay active at home and how to store 8000 roles of toilet paper. I even attended an online activity where someone had figured out how to turn a Zoom meeting into a game show that had people laughing, singing together and connecting in meaningful ways. 

Necessity is the mother of invention, and it’s actually constraints that help us grow. When you have limitations, you discover new ways of doing things that never would have occurred to you previously. What new ideas or ways of doing things have emerged for you this year?

Gift #12

Ok, so I actually have at least 4 more gifts, but let’s see if I can roll them into one succinctly. (Talula wonders if I think any part of this email is succinct. Duly noted.)

Energetically, the pandemic is a reflection of Divine Feminine energy rushing in. It’s been characterized by opportunities to spend time with family, nurture the home environment, rest, focus on self-care, get creative, surrender control, spend more time in nature and deepen our trust that everything will be ok. The Divine Masculine has also joined in the fun by creating form and structure within the chaos. 

When we allow those two energies to work in harmony, we get Inspired Action, which is the final gift. You can amass all the ideas and information that you want but if they don’t translate into action that moves you forward, it’s not worth gathering the information in the first place. 

Knowing about letting go and actually letting go are two very different things. Thinking about taking a walk and actually taking the walk give you very different results. Right? You receive the ideas through the Feminine and you take action through the Masculine. We want to have a beautiful harmony flowing between these two energies for ultimate living and fulfillment.

So! Those are the 12 gifts. I hope you’ve enjoyed them and that you’re willing to receive each of them. 

Of course, I need to offer you a way to take Inspired Action so that you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. (Talula’s been a big fan of being independent and never asking for help. It wasn’t working out so well for her.)

I’ve crafted an experience that will take place on December 31st where you’ll get to meld a number of these gifts into one sacred ritual that will help release this year and then look forward into the next with optimism and possibility. 

I invite you to join me for the Conscious New Years Celebration (happening in the am so you can still have all your *limited* New Years fun in the evening). Click here to find out more. And if you’ve already registered for the Year End Retrospective on Dec 28th (or still want to), there’s a special deal for you. See the FAQ at the bottom of the New Years Celebration page about that. 

Have a most unique and exceptional holiday, whatever it is that you’re celebrating and I’ll pop into your inbox soon.

With sleighs full of love and nutcrackers full of courage,

Christina

PS - Talula also wishes you a fabulous holiday season. She’s not above roasting chestnuts on an open fire.