MONIQUE SLIEDRECHT: Seeing through fresh opportunities while life is on hold
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Northern Drift by Monique Sliedrecht
Very suddenly it can seem that life has been put on hold. For me it has been.
In the wake of an unfortunate meeting with a large (very clean) panel of glass a few weeks ago, I ended up sitting in A&E for 7 hours, and was diagnosed with a concussion. I was told not to do anything that required concentration, and to suspend regular activities and rest, rest, rest until symptoms subsided.
One neurologist describes a concussion as "when the brain gets jarred, causing it to hit against the skull" (Felicia Gliksman D.O., M.P.H.). The impact creates a stretching of nerve fibres and cells, making typical brain function difficult, and so your brain shifts into overdrive to repair the damage.
This increased activity, or hypermetabolism, diminishes blood flow, leading essentially to an energy crisis in the brain.
It has interrupted many things that were in full flow – plans for the weeks ahead, and time in the studio. In some ways, life feels like it has come to a complete standstill.
Life not going as you’d expected or intended can be a real disappointment and the thought of “what do I do now?” can feel quite overwhelming. Not to mention, it is the beginning of spring, when things grow and move along regardless of whether or not you do.
But maybe being "put on hold" is an opportunity to notice – the tastiest oranges and most beautiful tulips brought over by a friend, the permission not to concentrate when thinking too much is a favourite pastime, the kindness and care of neighbours checking in, the song of the curlew… and to anticipate the return of the swallow.
Nature has a way of healing in these moments when nothing else can. It is easy to rest in nature, to reset and fall in line with its rhythms.
Every moment is sacred. Every moment is precious. Every moment is important. Every moment is life and I can maximise this time in the present. There is the opportunity to be connected right where I am.
I realise that the only thing to do is choose acceptance in this time of seeming limbo. Rather than mourn for what cannot be, I can accept that something new is happening.
What if life is not being put on hold at all?
Considering it to be on hold assumes that things will go back to exactly the way they were. It keeps us grasping for what was, causing agitation, anxiety and fear. We can remain glued to what was, whilst missing what is.
"When we prefer and accept what is, however, we can surrender to and enjoy life’s many nuances and vicissitudes" (Sophia Godkin, PhD., The Happiness Doctor).
If I treat this experience as though life is on hold and don’t pay attention to the richness contained within it, I may miss the opportunity, whether to rediscover personal meaning, to strengthen my relationships, to slow down, or to make the changes I know I need to make to create a better now and a better later.
I leave you with this invitation: To pay attention. To treat these periods as if they were a reset button. To reflect. To not miss the opportunity. Use these valuable, once-in-a-lifetime experiences as a spark to light an inner fire and ignite a new beginning.
After all, the biggest loss in the end of experiences like this is if we come out of them unchanged.
As I slowly return to normal life, I’m making a few promises to myself. I promise to savour the moment I’m in, and enjoy each activity (like my writing) for itself and not the accomplishment of it. I promise to listen to my body and take breaks when I need them. Pushing myself isn’t worth it. And most importantly, I promise I will never again, under any circumstances, run into a glass door.
- Monique Sliedrecht is an artist, blogger and podcaster based at Freswick – www.moniquesliedrecht.com
