Right now, we are going through unprecedented and uncertain times. We are frantically sifting through the sand of social media, news updates, homework problems, and Zoom calls with just about everyone we’ve ever met. We’re in a crisis and we’re sifting and searching for meaning in all of this muck. I believe with every fiber of my being that we can find meaning in everything that happens in our lives. We can find gratitude IN the hard stuff, which is not the same as finding gratitude FOR the hard stuff. So what do I think we’re meant to find in this crisis? Courage.
Courage is defined as “strength in the face of pain or grief.” I love that definition because it’s not blind to the hard and harsh realities of life. Finding courage doesn’t mean we dance around the pain or ignore the existence of it. Standing with courage means standing firm and secure in the face of hardship and meeting trials as they come. Courage is exactly what we need to cultivate right now in order to face the daunting uncertainty up ahead.
But how?
Whenever I want to learn something new, I search for an experiential way to learn it. It’s how I’m wired and what works best. I take this experiential approach to absolutely everything in my life and I know many of you do too. That's how I really move the ball.
Here’s the thing: we’re going to come out of this chaotic experience eventually. We might not know when or how or how long from right now, but this will end.
There will come a time when the coronavirus and its subsequent quarantine is a distant memory. And so let me ask you: how do you want to remember this time? How do you want your kids to remember it? Who do you want to be in this season and more importantly, in the one that follows?
I'm sure you want to be the one that showed courage during this crisis. You want to show up as a leader in your family or for your business or your team when everything feels insurmountable.
You want to rise above your present circumstances in pursuit of a greater future. We know we can’t control what’s happening in the world right now, but we can control how we show up in it. We can choose joy. We can build courage. We can decide today that tomorrow is built upon the skills and habits we cultivate right now. In the midst of this crisis, as we sift through our circumstances, we get to determine what remains.
Just because 2020 hasn't been how you've envisioned it doesn't mean you can't end it on a high note.
Early on into this pandemic, I was determined more than ever to make this year an AMAZING one despite Coronavirus and COVID. I was not going to allow this chaos be an excuse as to why I didn't have a successful year.
Remember, each day is a gift and as we are sifting through everything I already described, remember that you can always control how you end each day. So don't make excuses, have the courage to lead during this time and to move the ball. You've got this!