Hey Toronto! 😊❤️ Are you distressed at the prospect of 12 weeks of lock down? Take heart! First, I promise that your feelings will shift & that you can be happy & well during this period. We are going to do this together, & it's going to be awesome. /1
To start, know that your feelings today are not going to last all summer. It's just a transition period. Right now, it feels like your whole world has been taken away, but that's just because you haven't hit your creative adaptation phase yet. Trust the process. /2
It's upsetting when our expectations & plans are overturned. Give yourself a moment to grieve. 🙏🏽 But don't let your grief trick you into thinking you're going to suffer every day. That's not happening. Your mind & body will adjust. Joy & freedom are still on the table. /3
Now, we are going to do this marathon together... "Distant", but together. One team, #TorontoStrong. Each of us is now part of something momentous & good. We are part of an effort that is not only saving lives, but changing the world. The next 12 weeks are our playoff run. /4
How are we going to do this? First, by re-imagining ourselves as part of something greater than we have ever been before. A team. And as a team, we can understand that our individual choices are part of a living whole. Everything we do now, we are doing together. /5
Second, embrace radical acceptance. Let go of expectations and control. What you did last month doesn't serve you today. Let the world, today, teach you a new way to be happy, joyous, and free. If we live in denial, fear, or self-pity, we will miss the gift. /6
Seek out the light in all the corners, and then share it. There is a radical new space that has opened up between the walls of these pandemic restrictions. Follow the light. Let this 12 weeks transform you into a person of loyalty, resilience, and resolve. A warrior. /7
Be ride or die for our city. Let what you choose - every single day - be a symbol of your love for family, neighbours, community, and country. Celebrate this fight like a Raptor's playoff stretch. One team, #TorontoStrong. /8
Now here is the honest truth. I can tell you, as someone who has done long stretches under hardship conditions, 12 weeks is a marathon, but it is absolutely manageable. No problem. I assure you that you will shift gears well before then & your emotions will chill out. /9
Acceptance is the solution. It brings relief, creativity, adaptation, and even joy. YES. You can have a happy & fun summer. The more you let go of your preconceived notions of what happiness looks like, the more you will find the joy that is right in front of you. /10
In a month, the whole world has become different. So... let's be different, too. Let this next 12 weeks show us a completely different way to be happy. That way, on the other side of the marathon, we will have all new tools that will last a lifetime. /11
This is who we are. #TorontoStrong is our spirit. We can do this - together - with courage and joy. I will be right here for our city, sharing my hope and strength, and being inspired by all of yours. We got this. 💪🏽🙏🏽❤️ /x
