Shut your beak Chicken Little

Shut your beak Chicken Little

To say that this is a challenging time is an understatement. By now we all know someone who either has the Virus or who is putting themselves in harms way on the daily in order to fight it. The news is beating us over the head with it, not to mention those horrible click bait headlines???? It is easy to slide into Chicken Little mode, panicking into numbing activities: over eating, over drinking, Netflix bingeing to name a few... or just maybe we could...pivot our thinking?

Pivot

The saying goes something like, you have to think anyway, so think big... Is it time to pivot your thinking and what you are doing? It may not feel possible at first, but start to look for the good news. Or, as Mr. Rogers puts it, look for the helpers.

I've got news for you

Good news: Many people are working from home if they can, meeting the challenges of learning new technology, juggling family and home schooling with tenacity. One friend who is a restaurant owner has decided to find a way to feed the hungry. Another friend is sourcing SUV loads of groceries from a distributor to fill little food pantries all over her town. So many are sewing masks and donating to keep them going. Today we start 3D printing mask clips to take the pressure off the health care worker's poor ears! I'm still coaching over the phone, and now teaching yoga and mindfulness on line, both private and public classes, recording podcasts and creating new content. 

Don't stop believing 

(Great, now THAT song is stuck in your head:) There is an end to this, we don't know when, or how, but there is an end. We can stop believing this and curl up in a ball frozen by fear, or we can keep going. We can keep believing in the caring, tenacity, skill, and brilliance of who we are as a human race and review all the things we have  overcome in the past, wars, droughts, wild fires, other epidemics...

Be a helper

One thing that instantly uplifts my spirits is by helping. Studies show that this is true for many people. If it is true for you, shift your focus to how you can help now. We are all in this together. 

Ask and you shall receive 

If you need help, ask. In order to know what you need, you have to first listen to the feedback your thoughts are giving you. They are usually the loudest access point. Write them down. Then listen to the feedback your body is giving you. It is quieter so usually mindful movement and stillness can help. If you need a creative, compassionate ear, I am offering, "pay what you can coaching."

-Just ask. Here's the easy button: coach me!