In The Moment Exactly As It Is

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It’s been said that better questions lead us naturally to better answers. And that it’s in not knowing that we open the doorway to knowing. I’m Scott Lennox, and you’re listening to The Beautiful Question, a consideration of things that truly matter in a complex world.

If we’re open to them, our experience with the pandemic continues to offer opportunities to learn innumerable lessons. Some of the most recent ones for me are that I’m a man and not a machine, that I am subject to exactly the same stressors that other people experience, and that my humanity is just as it’s supposed to be.
Join me in what will be my briefest podcast as I consider where we are in this dynamic moment. Stay with me.

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When I first began producing these weekly Beautiful Question podcasts, I promised you, and promised myself, that I would be clear and honest and straightforward about what I share with you. It was also my hope to be as encouraging and uplifting as possible.

With that in mind, this week’s podcast will be my shortest one yet. Apart from sharing my humanity with you, which I do happily, this week I have little to more to offer except that as I adjust to the conditions of the pandemic, it’s been a week during which I have felt anything but inspired. I’m happy to say that I remained clear and present with the people I sit with in tele-counseling sessions, yet the last few days have been particularly challenging, even though I can point to no single cause.

To “fake it” or to “try and put on a good front” would be lying, and I refuse to engage in what is disingenuous. We’re each worth more than that.

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A couple of evenings ago, a friend and I talked by phone about what I was experiencing. As our conversation went on, it was clear that I’m far from alone. As things continue to intensify, locally and globally, many people are reporting that they feel profoundly challenged in the face of that intensity. That’s especially true as social isolation continues. We’re social animals and a lack of direct human contact takes a toll on us over time. Without a doubt, I’ve been feeling the effects of that and I’ve begun taking active steps to reconnect with people in the ways I can.

If you take away nothing else this week, at least know that there are times when each of us struggles, and that’s okay. It simply is what it is. From time to time, we’re challenged. From time to time, we struggle. In the ways we can, we adapt. In the ways we can, we learn and grow. As we need to, we take time out for a while. If we feel we must, we go into a frenzy or we sit and stare at the wall or we binge on coffee or Netflix or ice cream and cookies. Pick one. And when we can, we come back to ourselves and begin to flow with life again.

And all of that on no one’s schedule but our own. It’s part of being human. It’s part of being exactly who and what we are.

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And so this week, I won’t end by saying, “I’ll be back next week with something better and more encouraging to share with you.” Instead, I’ll end by assuring you that I’ll be back next week, exactly as I am in the midst of what is. And that in the meantime, I’ll be especially kind to myself, including offering myself the grace to be where I am, exactly as I am. I encourage you to do the same.

Be good to yourself this week.

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As I say each week,
My Light with Your Light,

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Thank you for joining me in this way. Even in the most challenging of times, I want to be a voice of encouragement and light. My continuing goal is for each of us to live better lives and create better possibilities for ourselves, for one another, for the world, and for our beautiful planet home.

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You can find all of my free podcasts and guided relaxation audios on the Beautiful Question website at thebeautifulquestion.com. That’s all one word. Soon, you’ll find the transcripts of these podcasts and links to a number of other offerings to challenge and inspire you. There’ll also be a library in which you can quickly find podcasts arranged by topics. I know you’ll like how easy the site will be to navigate.

As always, if you find these podcasts useful or encouraging, don’t hesitate to share them and tell others about them.

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I’m Scott Lennox and this has been The Beautiful Question.

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The Beautiful Question is a One Light production, written, produced, and engineered by Scott Lennox at HeartRock Studios in Fort Worth, Texas as a way of paying forward to life, being fully present, becoming better engaged with things that truly matter in a complex world, and committing to a healthier future for all of us.

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