Leaving the FEAR train at the station
There’s no doubt about it. These are challenging times for all of us both personally and professionally. And for the majority of us, we have never lived through anything like this. Is it scary, yes? Should we panic, NO and that’s an ALL CAPS NO. Nothing can be gained by hopping on the FEAR train and letting it take you for a ride for the short or long haul. Do we need to be realistic? Absolutely! Do we need to exercise caution? For sure. Do we need to develop and work a plan from a calm, rational place? You better believe it. And it all starts with you and managing your own emotional state. Consider the following: You can’t control anything but how you react: When chaos is whirling around you – you still have options. You can attach to the chaos and feel yourself go down a slippery slope or you can acknowledge it and let it sail on by, just like a cloud in the sky on a sunny or cloudy day. Clouds come and clouds go and this too shall pass. Emotions are contagious, what are you spreading? There’s a phenomenon that in my mind can be just as bad if not worse than any virus and detrimental to all of humanity. They call it emotional contagion, emotions are contagious (just like COVID-19). Spreading fear and panic creates more of the same and promotes a negative state of being. A state where we literally have access to one-third of our brain’s ability. When you feel yourself getting into that dark space – pause, relax your body, take a deep breath, and focus on hope, peace, and love. If you find your brain getting stuck in a negative groove - repeat a positive mantra. Find your own or use the one above, “this too shall pass”. I hope you’ll join me in making a positive difference in a time of crisis. Use this time to go inside to make things better outside. They say, "Adversity does not build character, it reveals it." Let your character shine bright as a beacon of hope for those around you. Keep well!
