Shift Happens

Let's face it, things change. Life is unpredictable. Nothing has proven that more than the events of the last 27 days. Before March of 2020 we heard of the corona virus or Covid-19 but I for one had no idea the impact it was about to make on our daily lives.

We probably all remember watching the morning news as we got ready to start our day and saw images and heard stories about the virus in far away places like China beginning in mid to late December. As the information regarding the affects of the virus in China became more and more available to us it was alarming .. but in my mind still far away.

We watched in concern to see the hold it had on the people of that country and then suddenly it was was reported in an other country. And then what seemed to be the next day we heard about its spread into Europe. The next thing I can remember is hearing about passengers of a cruise ship who were infected with the virus heading back to the US. I think that was February and that was frightening.

But nothing could have prepared us for what came next. In what seemed like an overnight development we were being asked to wash our hands multiple times a day and not be in large gatherings. And then the message changed quickly to social distancing, stay at home orders, workforce reductions, face masks and gloves. We were (and still are) horrified to see the number of sick and dying people grow daily and our hearts go out to the brave and overwhelmed health care professionals and first responders who are taking care of us.

The events of these last several weeks have been hard to handle for many. Life as we knew has changed and it changed quickly. It is unsettling to know we face an invisible enemy in the form of a virus that has affected virtually the entire planet. This is unprecedented and God willing something we will never see the likes of again. However it is here and it is now. The affects of the Covid-19 pandemic on our personal lives, our loved ones, our economy, our resources and habits has been a lot to process for many of us. I know that to be true. 

What I also know to be true is that this will not last forever. We will get through this. We have to trust ourselves, believe in ourselves and in our ability to meet the challenges presented to us and navigate the uncertainty as we have done so well in the past.

This is not the first time any of us have faced adversity or challenge. We all have faced our own personal challenges and obstacles and as a nation we have survived terrorism at its worst and economic down turns and recessions. And we came out the other side stronger each time and we will again.

I am not dismissing any of your current challenges or fears. Many of you are experiencing real hardships right now. People are out of work, businesses have been shut down and many of us are fearful for our health and the health of loved ones. It is important that we look at what is happening around us and make shifts in our life to meet the challenges.  

Life is different right now and it will be for a little while. And the truth is, change is difficult for most people. Shifts in our daily routines and our freedoms can be hard to handle. What I want to encourage you to understand is that shifts in our life happen all the time. Some shifts are subtle and others are jarring. I know for many of you it has been really tough.

Tough times show us and the world who we really are. We have to put our true character, our creativeness and our skills to the test to navigate this difficult time. I believe humans are built for adversity. We can do tough things. History has proven that time and time again. We can get through this.

You can decide how you will be defined by this. Will you decide to get up, get dressed and be your brilliant best self every day regardless of your circumstances? Will you take this time to learn something new? Start something? Finish something? Pray more, meditate more

What will you create? build? invent or begin with the opportunities in front of you? How will you navigate? thrive? shift? and master your own thoughts and actions right now? Wherever you put your thoughts, energy and attention will go.

When times are tough we always have a choice to make. Tackle it or be tackled. The way I see it, the choice is to either embrace the opportunities that come with the tough times or resist it and give up your personal power and control. Your ability to be resilient and flexible will determine how successfully you come out of this on the other side.

Your response is what will determine your outcome. Because whatever we think is what we become. What we focus on expands. If we think negative and fearful thoughts we will create an unstable, negative, scary existence.

Fear or faith, we choose.