Stop, Breathe, and Reset

I am sure everyone is scared right now. And that is okay. I know I am. For the last couple days I have been glued to the television. We are on lock down in our state, no going out unless it is essential, and only essential businesses are open. No bars, no restaurants, they even closed hair and nail salons and barber shops. It has taken me a couple days to process all this. 24/7 news coverage. Worried about my children who are not with me. Needless to say, a total lack of motivation set in. What's the point? Quarantined for the near future, the nation is basically on lock down, and life will be very different for the foreseeable future. It all came to a head this morning as I prepared to go to the grocery store for this week's groceries. I grabbed my reusable bags, and got ready to go. Then the panic set it. What if someone coughs on me? What if I pick up the virus from a package someone contaminated? What if because of past medical issues, I am one of the ones who will get seriously ill from this? What if I die? Before I could even change my thinking, panic had set in. I packed sanitizing wipes, disinfecting spray, and hand sanitizer. I even packed a bandanna that I was going to wear as a mask. So I tried what I usually try when I am overwhelmed by anxiety and panic. I set everything down, and took a deep breath. I said out loud "You are panicking." Then I took another breath. I stopped to breathe. After focusing on my breathing for a moment, I started replaying the facts I know in my head. Keeping my distance from people. Washing my hands when I get back. Using sanitized wipes on the carts, handles, and my hands. Common sense precautions that are very effective. After I had this conversation in my head, the panic subsided. But it got me thinking. How can I change my thinking during this time so I am not living in a state of fear? How can I keep myself motivated to still produce during this time? How can I not let fear and panic take over?

The first thing I did was revisited my goals. Not just my goals for Wealthy Affiliate, but my goals for the next few months. I made a list of the things I have been wanting to do for a while, but haven't had the time. Building a couple pieces of furniture for the house. Starting my seeds indoors for the garden this year. I have been wanting to focus a bit more on painting and creative writing. I now have the perfect opportunity to do these things. A forced shut down helps us prioritize and gain some perspective on what things we fill our time with, and their importance.

The second thing I did was to make a daily plan to get back on track with my training and writing for Wealthy Affiliate. I have content to write and a second website to launch. Everything is in chaos right now, and the business world has been rocked by this. But it won't be permanent. We will make it through this. And when we are on the other side, I will have content to hit the ground running. No step forward is a wasted step!

Then I thought about what I needed to do to change my thinking. I have a very strong sense of spirituality, so I drew from that to start. I got off track with mediation and centering myself. It is really easy for me to lose focus if I am not focused on the here and now. I grabbed a few of my favorite quotes, wrote them down, and posted them on my fridge and around my work area. Here are some of them.

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." - Lao Tzu

"Unexpected situations are often matched by unexpected virtues, are they not? -Timberlake Wertenbaker

"It is how we embrace the uncertainty in our lives that leads to the great transformations of our souls." - Brandon Trean

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what is going to happen next." -Gilda Radner

These are just a few that I will be holding on to. I have a lot of love in my life. I have seen unexpected acts of kindness during this crisis. I am learning to live in the uncertainty, and cherish every small moment. And I am learning to press on.

Incidentally, I did make it to the grocery store. People were courteous. Calm. Careful to keep distances. It was not the craziness I expected.

We don't know what the future holds. We are in very uncertain times. But the best way to get through it, is to keep living. Stay in the moment. Enjoy the time on your hands and use it wisely. We don't get many breaks from the hustle and bustle of the world. I believe we will get through this. I believe we will have learned some valuable lessons that will hopefully change our lives for the better, and transform our souls. So we press on towards that end.

Be safe. Spread love. And carry on.

Humanity and Reason

"Our humanity rests upon a series of learned behaviors, woven together into patterns that are infinitely fragile and never directly inherited."  Margaret Mead

It is here now, and that is confirmed, but it has probably been here a while.  It is in our county, in our cities, in our neighborhoods.  This is not just some far off crisis now.  This is our crisis.

When we face challenges as a society, as diverse as we are, it is a common goal or a common thread unites us, and holds us together.  In the most severe circumstances, humanity is the only common thread we have with each other.  

As a society, we are facing what seems to be a really big challenge.  And it will seem as though it will challenge the very freedoms we take for granted everyday.  

I am a father of 4.  I have nieces and a nephew.  I have family members that are in the risk catagory.  I get the desire in us to protect self and children.  I know how it feels to have that threatened by this situation.  While protection and provisions for our family reach back to a more primal sense of survival, it is the ability to reason that needs to prevail.  

So the requests by the government are reasonable.  Yes, it may seem like our freedom to protect and provide for is being threatened, and that scares us.  Yes, it means a different way of life for the near future.  It means times may get scarier.  Cases will rise, people will get sick, and there may be more deaths.  But we have a chance to really slow this virus down so it stays manageable.  I for one hope that all these precautions we are taking are for nothing.  But as long as there is a chance it isn't, we have to be ready.  Be prepared.  Know what to expect.

I know the sense of self preservation kicks in.  It is in our DNA.  I know there is a feeling of panic when we see empty store shelves.  This is where the ability to reason comes into play.  It looks like a shortage because it all came at once.  It looks like a shortage because many people are hoard shopping.  This rush will die down for a couple weeks because everyone is stocked up.  The stores will restock at that time.

While we are facing businesses closing, curfews, and basically a national lock down for the foreseeable future, reason has to be front and center.  This is for the good of the nation.  To protect those most vulnerable.  To stop our hospitals from becoming paralyzed.  If the hospital system crashes, it isn't just Coronavirus cases that will not get treated.  It will be heart attacks, strokes, broken legs, and other traumas as well.  This is not a removal of our freedoms.  This is to preserve the freedoms we have all taken for granted, in the long term.

Kids are home and safe.  Use this time to bond.  To learn how to function as a family again.  To talk.  To take time to just be a family.  Grocery stores will remain open, and while we won't be able to buy the mass quantities we want, we will be able to buy what we need.  Gas stations will still be open.  Banks will still be open.  You will have access to your money.

This will be a rough time for each of us.  This will be a rough time for our country.  Many parts of our culture and of our society may change.  But the steps being taken now are necessary to preserve our way of life for the long term.  Reason must prevail, even if it feels contrary to self preservation.  The sun will still shine.  Life will still go on.  And I for one am going to believe in humanity.  I am going to believe in the good that we have as a society.  I am going to believe that we as a nation will come out the other side of this, stronger and with a better understanding of our freedoms and our way of life, and just how fragile it is.

Be informed.  Be kind.  Listen to the experts.  Keep fear in check, and fight the urge to panic.  Love one another.  Listen to the voices of reason.  Remember your humanity.  Your stockpile of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and food you would never go through in a month will not save you from the effects of this, or from the virus itself.