As we settle into quarantine, the shut down, and the reality of social distancing, emotions are at an all time high.
For me personally, I have feared what’s ahead for myself, my family, and our industry. To the best of my ability, I have tried to welcome the break from the norm and the constant hustle.
Sure, I’ve been annoyed by the inconvenience of shutting life down.
But also been inspired by all the good in the world. People are setting aside their differences and coming together to support each other. I’ve been hopeful for what’s waiting on the other side of this shutdown.
As of now, 30 states have shut down non-essential businesses and banned gatherings over 10 people.
Unfortunately, we haven’t even seen the peak of cases yet. The US has over taken even china in the number of positive Covid-19 cases and it’s looking like it’s going to be a very long spring for us here in the United States.
So if you’re anything like me, you’ve had tons of emotions, good and bad, arise as a result of this pandemic. My goal is to have you walking away from this blog with a stronger sense of your purpose during this time of so much uncertainty and fear.
{If you want to listen to the podcast episode on this topic, click on the player at the top of the post. Or read on…}
The Reality of Control
As much as we want to be in control, the reality is, we have very little.
This is one of the hardest pills to swallow for me. The truth is, we never really have control over the future. But suddenly, our lack of control is being blasted in our face on every news site, every social media account. We’re reminded of it constantly, which can be extremely frightening and unnerving.
So rather than focusing on things we cannot control, ask yourself what you CAN control in your life right now? Can you control the government closing all non-essential businesses? No – that is not in your immediate control. So what CAN you do?
- Feed your soul. Read a book. Take a class.
- Get a different job in the meantime.
- Work ON your business.
- CONNECT with people.
- Learn a new skill. Practice meditation.
- How can you still SERVE others without being physically in person?
Perhaps This is Happening FOR You, Not TO You
Big picture thinking.
It may feel helpless, hopeless and overwhelming not knowing what the future holds. But how can you SHIFT that to be a positive?
As tempting as it is, checking the news and social media every 20 minutes is not going to help you stay in a positive state of mind.
Obsessing over how hard, awful, scary this pandemic is not going to help you get there either.
Do not ignore your mental, physical, and emotional needs.
How This Can Be a Pivot in Your Life
How can you go on a journey of self discovery during this time?
How can you create transformation for yourself during this time so when you look back on this moment in 1 year, 10 years, 20 years and say “That was the best thing that’s ever happened to me!” or “Man that sucked but it shaped me to be the incredible version of me I am now”
I had a call with my coach this week and told me that the trigger leads to the transformation.
If I’m feeling triggered that my identity as a hard worker is being challenged and I’m forced to pull back because my kids are home, lean in to that.
Why do I feel like productivity is a part of who I am and pride myself on being?
Is that an identity I want to choose for myself or did I create that identity based on my view of my life and the world?
What if I 100% believed that the less I worked, the more valuable I would be?
What if I was actually getting further away from who I wanted to be by working so much?
By distracting myself and staying busy because it meant I didn’t have to address the sides of myself that seemed too hard or too painful to address. This is the time to face the parts of yourself that have felt too heavy to do so before. Embrace the trigger.
In addition, my team and I created a Pandemic Plan that will give you guidance on how to navigate your business during shutdown, how to know when to open up again, self care hacks, and much more! Head to www.thelashpreneur.com/pandemicplan to download our FREE Pandemic Plan!
Tara Walsh
The Lashpreneur
