How I am choosing to fight COVID-19
As I write this on March 10, I’m feeling helpless. I hatethat! So far, my daily life is pretty normal. I’m in my downtown Chicagooffice, and I just got back from a large lunch meeting listening to some veryinteresting panelists. My day, and the rest of my week, is heavily scheduledwith both in-person and phone meetings.
Meanwhile, I’m waiting for the tidal wave to hit: the daywhen everything gets cancelled, when my clients suffer severe financial losses,when my travel is curtailed, when people I care about start getting sick, whenI get sick. It’s really scary, and it feels as if there’s nothing I can do. AsI said, I hate that!
This is exhausting. I’m exhausted and so is everyone aroundme. I’m already fed up with this crisis, and it hasn’t even hit yet.
And yet – this morning I had an insight. Here’s what I can do. I can act to replenish my own energy and to feed the energyof the people around me. That’s not so hard. It means consciously choosingpositivity. It means increasing the frequency of saying complimentary things tothe people around me, being kinder and more considerate. It means monitoring mypanicky self-talk and reminding myself that I’ve been through plenty of toughtimes and others have survived much tougher times than I have. It means givingmyself and others a break from the anxiety and gloom by telling funny stories, watchinggoofy escapist movies, dancing to wonderful music, whatever.
My parents lived through the Blitz in London, when bombswere raining on their neighborhoods every day and every night. People survivedby bonding together and demonstrating courage, grit, and positivity. Yourparents – and maybe you – have probably lived through true hardship.
If they could do it, we can.
