Last summer I spent a couple of weeks at a rural retreat center in Pepeekeo, Hawaii. Hot (it was August!), humid, and full of biting mosquitos. It wasn’t a great introduction to what is purported to be the best vacation spot on the planet.

And yet, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Not because I was physically comfortable. Quite to the contrary. The center didn’t have air conditioning and the bugs were constantly biting.

But it took me out of my normal routine and practically forced me to look very hard at my life, my internal world and where I was going.

It was a massive PAUSE in the middle of my headlong rush toward living my life and developing my projects.

I was there to share one of those projects – The Survivor’s Compass, a method I had developed to heal a lifelong battle with the aftershocks of childhood trauma. I spent three evenings sharing the concepts and tools that comprise the method – the tools that brought me out of the dark and into a much better place.

After all the hard work and preparation, Hawaii was an opportunity to really integrate the experiences that were behind me, and embrace what lay before me.

Sometimes, we just need to push that pause button and let ourselves process everything we are thinking and feeling. Instead of avoiding, distracting, or pretending that we are okay, or that we have everything figured out.

Most of the time, we don’t.

Right now, we’re all stuck at home and we have nothing but time on our hands. Instead of spending this precious time mindlessly distracting ourselves from the crisis or the boredom, let’s take this golden opportunity for introspection and self reflection.

When you quiet your mind and look inside, you’ll be amazed by what you find there. Not just the broken parts that need healing, but also the courageous, resilient, creative being that you really are, underneath all the surface stuff and the stories.

During this time of crisis, my family is staying connected through a text thread where we regularly check in with each other for support, humor (lots of that!) and love.

My darling son, who lives at that retreat center in Hawaii, shared some beautiful words with us and I’d like to share some of them with you.

“…if you’re finding yourselves getting caught in a loop of an emotion that is uncomfortable *PAUSE* take a breath and love whatever that is. Things come up because they need your love…This is a time and opportunity to connect with ourselves and nurture ourselves deeply.

If you are struggling to love a part of you, that’s where you should start…This is my prayer for you all that you find the sweet love, gratitude, joy and bliss that’s always available to you in every moment!

And since you may already be cooped up in your homes geared up for a full day of hand washing and looking out the window, this is the perfect time to fit in loving yourself relentlessly!”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

If you don’t have a clue how to start loving yourself, how to develop the art of introspection and self-discovery, I would like to teach you.

Visit www.annemarck.com/scripts-playlists to learn the art of introspection and getting into Self.

Love and blessings on all of you. With love and patience, we’ll get through this together.

Until next time,

Anne