We’re not going down!
We have a destination
I heard a story about Southwest pilots who found themselves in trouble on a flight. They had a mechanical issue and as the plane began to descend and oxygen masks came down, the pilot came on the intercom and said,
Unfortunately, one person was lost on the flight but 148 people survived what could have been a tragic accident.
As California is Sheltering in Place again, it can be hard to stay encouraged.
In San Francisco Businesses are closing permanently left and right, healthcare workers are being stretched to the max, and of course, the number of people in the hospitals and those that are passing away continues to increase.
It’s a heavy time and I think we all do ourselves a disservice when we don’t acknowledge that and it’s okay to be down and concerned about the future.
Look to History to gain perspective
As one of my clients so wisely said last week, “We act like this is the first time something terrible has happened. Bad things have happened throughout history and people have always found a way to continue on.”She’s right. I keep coming back to this but think about the poor World War I generation. Not only do they have a terrible world war that killed so many, but just as that was ending here comes the Spanish Flu which ends up killing 50 MILLION people worldwide over a 3 year period.
That is insane to me.
Then, of course, there was the Great Depression which threw many Americans into abject poverty, and then right after that another World War that devastated Europe and forced Americans to ration goods and live with air raid sirens as part of their reality.
It took time but there was rebuilding after that as well.
Keep Hope Alive
During this time it’s important to keep hope alive. I’m not talking about the phony hype that many are espousing during this time with screaming, yelling, and pretending that everything is going to go back to “normal” tomorrow.
It’s important to remember there will be an “After This”.
There is a destination “After this” and yes there may be some unfortunate events that happen along the way but resist the temptation to give in to crashing and burning.
Practical Tips to Keep Hope Alive
- Keep a Gratitude Journal This Month: What are you thankful for?
- Send out Holiday Cards since we won’t be having our usual Christmas parties
- Don’t try and make fetch happen (I keep saying this to people because so many people are just insistent on trying to pretend everything is normal when it is not)
- If you have something extra to spare, then send it to a food bank or a family in need.
- Turn off the news and Social Media: Too much doom and gloom without helpful solutions
- Be Intentional about Nutrition and Exercise: I think people will feel much better if they’re doing things that are contributing to more positive health outcomes.
We aren’t going down folks! There is a destination.
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