Rosalind [as Ganymede]: “Why, then, tomorrow I cannot
serve your turn for Rosalind?”

Orlando: “I can live no longer by thinking.”

- As You Like It Act 5 Scene 2

 

Persevere

In Shakespeare’s As You Like It, the central characters have been banished in a “time out” of sorts from regular life.

Within the Forest of Arden, they enjoy the opportunity to do whatever they want whenever they want. They revel in witty conversation and thoughtful banter but ultimately fail to achieve anything of importance or arrive anywhere of significance.

The lack of strong direction can offer one some mental freedom and serve as a welcome distraction at times, but it can also result in a state of paralyzing rumination which is not, to say the least, conducive to fostering a solid, workable plan from which one may get on with life.

Covid-19 and being quarantined have put our normal lives on hold, ‘banishing’ us from our everyday routines. So how do we get past our thoughts and capitalize on our abilities to act? How can we make changes for the better – like eating healthier, or starting that project we’ve been putting off for months? With this quote, Shakespeare shows us a situation in which the characters, perhaps much like ourselves, are full of pent-up frustration and desire to “Just Make Something Happen!”

At times like this, it might be useful to ask yourself: how are my thoughts helping me in my life this week? How might they be getting in the way?

Even in the midst of our “wandering in the wilderness”, so to speak, we must remember that we are all capable of controlling what we can control: attitudes, actions, words to ourselves and others. We can, and must, stay in the present and simply do “the next right thing” until we can see our way clear again.