We each have good and bad days, but lately, even the good days seem overshadowed by some virus dread. Most days now, I might wake up feeling positive–that things are getting better–but towards the evening, I worry if things will worsen. After a few days of this anxiety, I exhaust myself so much that I barely have the energy to think clearly, and I can imagine others feeling similarly. So, I’ve been trying to use more logic in these emotionally trying times. Here’s the best I could come up with so far:

Fear makes us aware that we can be harmed when a situation becomes challenging. If broken, pain tells us that we can do something about it. But if we choose irrationality, it will say to push the knife all the way through to take it out. And suffering is the resulting consequence of the choices we make.

If we pause to act rationally, we realize that the knife doesn’t need to go deeper. We can assess and act accordingly. But if all we focus on is trying to remove the knife in any way possible because of the pain, we might do it in the worst way possible: pushing it all the way through, even though there are many better ways. As Mike Tyson was famous for saying, “Everyone has a plan until they are punched in the mouth.” When we are in pain, it’s challenging to remain coherent. But if we accept pain as part of our lives, we can learn to respond–and not just react–whenever we feel it.

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