Finding joy in difficult times

One to one dialogue makes me happy. With the current lockdown going on in my city and in many countries around the world, physically meeting up with people is an impossibility.

To keep my mental wellbeing high while this lockdown is in place, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and reached out to people on meetup.com. I’m so glad I did. Taking the courage to take the chats offline, I’ve had brilliant conversations with people I would otherwise never ever have encountered. I will endeavour to nurture these friendships.

Making new friends as you get older can be a bit difficult, can’t it? Do you remember as a child in primary school how friendships were the most important thing? How important are those human interactions now?

Whenever I chant and throughout the day, friends, family and acquaintances frequently pop into my head. I call, text or send messages of encouragement; hearing their voices really lifts me. Sometimes I arrange to chant in domei (at the same time) with my friends; we’re alone in our homes but we no longer feel alone.

So, over to you. How are you finding joy in difficult times?