Hey everyone!

I wanted to do a check-in:  how are you doing?

These past few weeks have been a roller coaster of change, both physical and emotional. Our dining room table is our new work space. Our front porch is the space we sit and chat with neighbors who are 10 feet out on the sidewalk. And going to the grocery store has become a three-hour process.

My emotions have been all over the place. I’m either reacting to news or making new plans on how to keep my family safe and healthy. It’s overwhelming. We human beings are not meant to be in constant fight or flight mode!  

I truly hit the point of exhaustion a week ago when I woke up from a dead sleep in a panic because I thought I didn’t clean our groceries properly and we were all going  to die. My heart was racing and my breath felt short. I began to sweat, thinking I for sure have COVID. I was lost in a panic and then I got angry at myself thinking, “How could I have been so careless? I’ve put my whole family in jeopardy.” I couldn’t go back to sleep for hours. I just lay there in my bed marinating on the most horrifying thoughts one could imagine. I felt absolutely out of control. 

To keep my exhaustion from overtaking me, I’ve had to re-frame how I want to function. I don’t want to be exhausted, panicked, or constantly in flux. That’s truly no way to live. So, this got me thinking, instead of looking at this pandemic as a constant pain in the ass and worrying every single day, I thought,  “Why don’t we look at the state we are in as a positive?”  

WHOA.  Scary to say.  People are dying.  People are losing their loved ones and jobs. Healthcare workers are risking their lives treating the sickest patients with the virus.  And you are asking me to be positive? I am. 

It’s a big ask. I know. But now is the time when the Universe is asking more from you as an individual, a spouse, a friend, and as a human being. This is literally the most rare opportunity when EVERYTHING is on pause. The whole world is on the same page. What that does is create an opportunity to focus. To have TIME. 

The pace of life has slowed. I know we are all dealing with so much:  taking care of our families, teaching our kids, working from home. But to re-frame this situation as positive, I had to tell myself I would take the TIME to explore and do something I’ve never done before. Take time to create. To be curious.

I made homemade jalapeño-cheddar bread for the first time because I actually had the three hours to do it. I felt a sense of excitement and accomplishment and a renewed sense of purpose. I felt less panicky and out of control. 

The world is asking you to #STAYHOME and wait. The world is literally handing you TIME. Think how valuable that is. What could you do with extra time? Do certain thoughts and ideas come rushing into your mind?  I bet so!  Imagine if you carried out one of those ideas and how good it would feel to accomplish it. Some of the stress and anxiety would have a chance to dissipate. 

The best part? You might find out something new about yourself that you never knew existed! That’s the gift. That’s what the world is asking from you right now. So, yes.  I believe there is light amongst the darkness. I believe in humanity. I believe in myself. I believe in you. 

With that, I want to leave you with a question:  What have you always wanted to do, but never had the time?

Now’s your chance.