A New Normal!

The Coronavirus crept and then leapt in the early months of 2020. Life as we know it has changed. Now our favorite stores and restaurants may not reopen; our financial security may be in question; and gone are the quick hugs we exchange when we unexpectedly run into a friend. This makes us ponder life, and what it is going to look like going forward. What is our new normal? The pandemic of 2020 will end, but where will that leave us? Thoughts swirl in my mind; it gives me pause.

I know from my life coaching experience that we can let our minds go down one of two paths. One path could lead us to an uncertain dark place filled with fear and anxiety. We could dwell on the loss of lives, freedoms, financial security, and divisive political views, only to curl up in fetal positions and cry. Not a healthy choice. Unfortunately, some would say this is the only choice-the only realistic option. However, I am a firm believer that with every bad thing, there is something good. I don't want to oversimplify the loss. There are no words that can make up for what some have gone through. But life does go on. The second path is a better choice. This path is where we face our fears, embrace this new normal, and move forward.

It's tough; we like routine. We are creatures of habit, and change is something most people dread, even if it's a choice they make to better themselves. However, when change is thrust upon us, without warning and with severe consequences, it instills fear and anxiety. Sometimes to the point of despair. The Coronavirus has fractured the normalcy of life. How do we maneuver in such times as this?

There are no easy answers; however, first and foremost, we need to realize we can't change what is out of our control! It is the time to focus on solutions, not dwell on the losses—a time to reinvent, reprioritize, and reenergize our minds and lives. Americans are resilient and resourceful, so let's unite and create a new normal.

Diana reminds us, "The world as we created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking." Albert Einstein