Reflections on Time and How It Changes Our Perceptions

###Finding Stillness in Chaos The global pandemic lockdowns brought uncertainty and fear for many. Isolated at home, my usual routines were disrupted and anxieties grew. Seeking stillness, I immersed myself in daily prayer, scripture reading and meditation. Through this spiritual practice, I found calm amid the chaos enveloping the world. Focusing inward helped place external events into perspective and realize this too shall pass. ###A Reset Through Fasting In those early panic-filled weeks, nutritional and lifestyle changes provided further coping mechanisms. I undertook a 90-day juice fasting regimen for mental and physical renewal. In addition to purified nourishment, evenings were soothed with red wine - a small indulgence to ease stomach distress. This disciplined reset curbed cravings and compelled deeper reflection. Tears flowed freely as unburdening sorrow, releasing held tensions and making space for peace. ###Opening to Higher Guidance Spiritual experiences surfaced unexpectedly during isolation. Late nights found me ardently praying for world justice, equality and harmony. Previously unfamiliar prompts emerged within, guiding rebukes against darkness. This inner dialogue stirred confusion and fear - was I losing grip on reality? Yet there was a surety that couldn’t be shaken, an intuition directing transformation. Surrendering control ushered comforting wisdom, illuminating life’s blessings hitherto taken for granted. ###Realigned Priorities
Long stretches alone invited self-examination. Pre-pandemic routines were dissected and reinvented through a compassionate lens. Frivolous spending and empty pursuits no longer satisfied core needs. Recognition dawned that fleeting material possessions cannot accompany the soul’s journey. Freedom from attachment lightened burdens, priorities cleanly defined. Appreciation blossomed for life’s simplest gifts - health, family, nature’s beauty constantly on display yet too often overlooked. ###Embracing Mortality Awareness of mortality’s inevitability surfaced during isolation. Far from inducing dread, this perspective cultivated liberation. No longer clinging to unrealistic perceptions of permanence or youth, reality dawned that each moment comprises a precious gift. What truly endures can’t be measured in worldly terms. Choosing peace over fear, I welcomed life’s transient nature, finding fullness within impermanence’s embrace. Death lost sting through an enlightened gaze perceiving eternal light beyond physical shells. ###Moving Forward in Hope Dark seasons don’t last forever, and with spring’s return emerged signs of rebirth everywhere. Community support strengthened, along with commitment to nurturing wellness holistically - mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Daily, life’s small blessings are recognized with renewed gratitude. While uncertainties remain, an optimistic outlook prevails, recognizing life’s intricate lessons if opened to receiving. Challenges need not overwhelm if rising each dawn committed to flowering hope, compassion and service wherever opportunity arises.