Mindsets for Peace in Coronavirus Uncertainty
I’m solo navigating Asia in a time of COVID-19. This is what’s keeping me grounded.
We are all seeking certainty. And this is difficult in an unpredictable world.
We’ve created our societies to support our belief that our current reality, if not something better, is assured. And this makes right now extremely, extremely tough. Our minds go haywire. We vacillate in the tug-of-war between wishful thinking and utter panic. We lose our sense of stability and start to lose sleep.
We very much want to be certain of something. Anything. So what is it that we can cling to in this time of so much uncertainty?
Right now, I’m on my own in Asia, navigating my place in this ever-changing world. But this is my year of flow. Of trusting my intuition. Of surrendering to the unknown and letting the universe guide me. Last fall, I walked away from my corporate consulting leadership role for a life in Bali, Indonesia closer to the earth. So as I continue this journey, aspiring to maintain my internal peace whatever the storm, I’ve now come face-to-face with the real test. How do I stay centered in this moment and flow?
Thankfully, I’ve learned that there is hope for the unwieldiness of the mind. It takes training. It takes intention. It’s never perfect. But small steps in embracing helpful mindsets can produce powerful shifts, and these shifts can bring clarity to help us navigate the right now.
So in this time of heightened fear, instead of clinging to a certainty that isn’t there, I am clinging to the mindsets that help me move forward.
Breathe deep. Repeat after me.
I will move in the direction that gives me the most peace.
We will be faced with difficult decisions. Our minds will swirl with options. Our brains will challenge our every move. But which direction inspires the most peace? Feel it in your body. Notice if your shoulders relax when you contemplate an option. Trust your internal guidance system.
It was a feeling in my gut. A little blip on my peace radar. In early March in Bali, my intuition said to take COVID-19 seriously, and I was feeling apprehensive with the inaction I was seeing in Indonesia. I have a pre-existing condition, so the lack of testing protocol, the insufficient medical preparedness and the widespread denial of what might come heightened my concern. I couldn’t shake the unrest.
I already had a flight Kuala Lumpur booked for Friday, March 13 to renew my visa, with a flight back to Bali that evening. On Thursday, I woke up with a deep sense of urgency and realized that I might not be coming back to Bali for some time. I didn’t have a full plan, and tears came at the thought of leaving my community of loved ones, but this realization brought me a sense of deep relief. My body relaxed. When I spoke the idea aloud, it felt like truth. And this is how I knew it was the direction I needed to take.
Right now, all I need to do is take the next best step.
Yes, it’s good to focus forward. Thinking ahead can help us prepare for tomorrow. But we can also easily get paralyzed and overwhelmed because the world is changing moment-by-moment, and we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Ask yourself: What decisions do I need to make today? Based on what I know today, how can I place myself in the best position for tomorrow? What can I do right now to remain adaptable?
For me, I didn’t know (and still don’t really know) what would come. Would I stay in Malaysia? Go on to another country? Maybe even come back to Bali with fresh headspace? Having all the answers on Thursday didn’t matter. What I did know is that I needed to pack the essentials and say some goodbyes.
I threw my laptop, my medicine, a few outfits and a week’s worth of underwear in my carry-on and focused on spending the day with my Balinese “family”. I took them on a shopping spree for sanitizers, soaps and other necessities that are often luxuries for locals, and I put money in the bank for them to access in case of an emergency. To clear my energy and bring clarity, I prayed at my favorite water temple and visited my Balinese healer. I said heartfelt “see you soons” — maybe in two days, maybe longer. I had a peace that I was taking the right action for the day. I didn’t need to know the future; I just needed to find the solid footing for the next step.
I trust myself to know when it’s time to act.
You’ve got this. Every moment up until now has been training you for this time. Shed the self-doubt. It will only hold you back. Know your options and move when the moment is right. Listen to that voice within. You’re doing the best you can, and deep, deep down, you trust yourself to make the right calls.
When I landed in Kuala Lumpur, the sense of relief was palpable. I realized just how vulnerable I had been feeling on the small island Bali. I had booked just one night at a hotel and wanted to sleep on any big decisions. On Saturday, with good rest and a clear mind, I sensed I needed to book a flight to Singapore for Monday. My gut said anything past that would be a risk if borders closed or flights were cancelled. I made the purchase.
On Sunday evening, I heard the news that Singapore would enforce a 14-day self-quarantine for anyone arriving from other Asian countries after 11:59 pm Monday the 16th. My flight landed here around noon. While I advocate for self-quarantine — and I am spending most hours each day in my hotel room just to be cautious — it would have limited my ability to plan next steps. The world might look a lot different in two weeks. Because I trusted my internal voice of guidance, I am in a good place.
I am right where I need to be in this moment.
This doesn’t mean wishful thinking. Or guaranteed safety. But it means letting go of regrets, because they are unnecessary baggage that just weigh us down. From this moment forward is all that matters. There are no past mistakes. And the future is still undetermined. You are right where you need to be in this moment to handle whatever is coming next.
Having landed in Singapore brings a fresh set of uncertainties and complexities. I have a hotel room for only 5 nights. As I look at the rentals available to me on a tourist visa, I feel constricted by both the price points and the small living quarters; just the idea of quarantining in these places is suffocating. International borders all around me are now closing or enforcing 14-day quarantine for travelers. As someone who trusts my sense of expansiveness to guide me, it’s easy to question whether I made the right decision.
But the truth is, believing that I am exactly where I am meant to be is absolutely freeing. It opens me to focus on the future and not second-guess the past. I still don’t know where I will be tomorrow — perhaps I will discover a magical apartment at discounted rates, or perhaps I will sense that it’s time to go home to the US. The future is still unwritten, but I trust that I am exactly where I need to be today.
All is unfolding for my highest good.
This might be hard to grasp in the middle of a pandemic. Health concerns. Financial concerns. Concerns about loved ones. These are all very, very real right now. But perhaps this is the most core and simple truth that can set us free from within. In this adventure of learning and life, every moment teaches us something that can support our own evolution. When we surrender to the universe, we let the light in. And we can all use a little more light right now.
I am weighing my decisions. Do I go home to my aging parents? I am well aware of the risks of further travel. Do I nestle in the perceived safety of Singapore? If I get sick in Singapore amid a crisis, would I be at the bottom of the list to get treatment as an “outsider” — not a citizen, not a resident, just a tourist? Nothing is certain, except for this: everything is unfolding for my highest good. This thought keeps me grounded. It helps me see from an eternal perspective. It offers clarity. For I believe that when we trust in a power, a source, an energy greater then ourselves, we experience true peace and freedom that is not dependent on circumstances. And as peace fills us, we spread peace to our world.
This is my opportunity to live in love.
Now is the time to love the world. To reach out to those you care about. To donate to the needy. To spread love and kindness. Concentrating on a mission fuels a sense of purpose and brings focus to the unruly mind. When you are helping others, you end up helping yourself. What can you do today to bring positive energy to the world around you?
And so as I traverse this terrain, unsure which direction is calling me, I know this to be true: the world needs love, and I have the opportunity to give it. In the small interactions. In the social distancing. In my writing. It’s so easy to be consumed with my own needs, but the world is in fear and needs love. Opening myself up to this mission — to be love to humanity — fills me with feelings of love.
And when I am filled with love, the fears and the doubts start to take a back seat. They are definitely still there, hanging out, chatting loudly and clamoring for my attention.
But I will not let them drive.
Take another breath and read those mantras in bold aloud one more time. Peace and love to you, my dear.
Heather Xu is a learning and performance consultant turned mindfulness life coach. She leads guided meditation, writes words of inspiration and offers gentle yet life-changing nudges to coaching clients from her home in … somewhere in the world.
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