Coronavirus: A positive response to a tragic time.

The past months have been life altering in more ways than one. I must admit…at first I was shaken. Yeah…I know. The life coach, the personal development junkie, modern day monk…even the guru I’ve been called. I didn’t know whether I was coming or going.

At first I was gripped in fear. Could I catch it? I work from home so I should say, would my careless husband bring it into the house? The man I’ve witnessed eat an apple while he’s driving his car?

I started cleaning. Everything. Light Switches, door knobs, the floor. Every day. I started washing my hands compulsively. It was as if I had come down with something…undiagnosed OCD. I’d lay awake at night and wonder if I touched something, if I should risk going to the store. I finally settled on the great idea to start ordering things off Amazon, except my great idea was the same one everyone else had. The packages were delayed and then I fretted over whether to bring them into the house, would my supplements ruin if I left them in the garage as the temperature fluctuated. I’d leave them sit for days at a time.

Yeah…a real mess.

And then it dawned on me. Focus on what you can control. I can clean, I can wash my hands when I need to, I can don a mask and clean my floor but at some point, the rest I have to surrender. And I’ve done that. I've learned to do what I can and trust God for the rest. I’ve decided to simplify my life as much as I can. I’ve started writing again which gives my mind something else to focus on besides the news. And I’ve started asking myself who do I really want to be on the other side of this?

I’ve decided that I want to get the rest of my books out and get started on a few more. I want to press further into my health journey. I want an electric car. After I saw how clear the skies were around the world because people were in lockdown, I want to be someone who cares about the planet, not a psycho fanatic, as I trust in the wisdom of the planet to find its own balance, but I want to do my part. And buying an electric car is something simple I can do. I’d been thinking about it anyway.

I’ve also vowed to not take life for granted. The houses, clothes and cars don’t really matter. I’d been moving in that direction too but Coronavirus has reminded me of how important it is. Now, I want to fill my days even more so with love and laughter. I want to leave dissension behind. I want strong relationships. I want to move beyond my comfort zone. I want to fully be me.

So…if there is a bright side to all of this it’s that it’s a time to take stock, to focus on what really matters, to think about what the good life looks like for you and how you get there. Think about it, life was already tricky, but uncertainty will now be a part of our daily lives. Why would you spend one precious second of your life in discomfort, not happy, not enjoying it? If there’s one thing this virus has taught us is that things can change quickly. Vow you won’t ever take anything for granted. If you’d told me in February that I wouldn’t be able to go to the store in March I would have laughed in your face.

We’ve been given the gift of a finite number of years. Let the virus be a reminder to not take any of them for granted.

~Find your center, stay hopeful, stay positive.

~Hug your loved ones tight.

~Cherish every breath you take.

~Focus on what matters.

~Imagine what the future could be like for you.

~ Commit to change.

Tonya Lampley, Author

And allow me to introduce you to my Covid Crop. With all the things I was washing on a daily basis…my food, light switches, floors. I didn’t have time or patience for hair. Simple is better.