A friend of mine lost a very close friend and a family member to COVID in the past few weeks. They both chose not to get vaccinated, so she was angry with them as that decision took their lives from her perspective. Her frustration and pain were affecting every part of her life. Have you experienced similar experiences and feelings?
Life comes with twists and turns. It doesn’t always turn out as expected. Sometimes, the challenges are small and sometimes more traumatic with a lasting impact. Change impacts every person differently. Some people get emotional and upset, some get angry, some go inside, and some adapt pretty well. Where do you fall on this spectrum? How well do you bounce back? Do you grow personally when you face issues that you didn’t expect?
Being resilient doesn’t mean you won’t feel the impact or feel distressed. That is all very normal. You want to go through the pain or emotions of whatever adversity or trauma you experienced. The key is what you do after you feel these emotions. Your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors following your experience of adversity are essential. Being intentional with how you proceed makes all the difference. When you keep your frustration, fear, anger, or emotions inside, it will grow and feel worse. And it often doesn’t impact the other person. When you are ready, you will get off to a great start if you can breathe into the feelings which will begin to release those emotions.
Forgiveness is essential here. Usually, there are two sides to every story, and understanding each side’s perspective is vital. The choice to not vaccinate was their choice, and there was nothing my client could have said or done to change their minds as she tried.
I worked through this issue with my friend, and we talked about how letting go of her anger and frustration was only hurting her. We talked about when people die; it is just their spirit (the part of them that you feel) leaving the vessel (their human body) that you may have been familiar with and that even though they are no longer there in person, they will live on in her heart forever. I shared how I talk to my mom and grandfather all the time as I felt their spirits were around me, and I felt comfort in this. She began to look at the situation differently and left the call feeling lighter and happier with a new frame of mind.
The CDC offers resources and ideas for coping or feel free to reach out and set up a complimentary coaching session to help you through these difficult times.
