COVID-19: Finding the Pearl in Dark Waters

How are you doing during this mandatory quarantine?

I hope this post finds you safe, sound, and strong.

Yes, this is a completely unnatural time for us all…. full of negative news and numbers to digest….but on the flip-side of the coin, it can be a positive time to reflect and reset.

So here’s my positive written thoughts for this last day of APRIL.

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During the past couple of months, we have all been nervous and on edge. We all have up days….and then we have devastating down days. We find encouragement when Drs. Fauci and Birx give us positive updates on possible therapeutic medicines, but we were unbearably sad the day we hit the 1 million case mark in the USA. It’s the most traumatic roller-coaster ride.

If you have been fortunate enough to only concern yourself with the stay-at-home orders….not experiencing a permanent job loss or fighting through the scariness and uncertainty of a Coronavirus diagnosis, then here’s a positive post just for YOU!

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So, I decided early on – March 13th to be exact – that I would use this time to self-reflect and examine how I could be a better wife….a better mom….a better friend…a better relative… a better writer….a better person.

I began to seek new knowledge and learn new skills. I am sure most of my Readers are accomplishing the exact same thing. “Nasty, Negative Nancy-types” never return to this blog after a couple of reads.

Why?

Because My Written Thoughts is a website about being positive and productive.

Being positive isn’t about being fake or naively ignoring the tragic events around us.

I recently had a conversation with a person who more-or-less accused me of being an “ostrich with my head fully immersed in the sand”. (I wasn’t allowed to get a word in edge-wise, so it really wasn’t a conversation, per se.) She talked over any counterpoint I tried to interject. She told me that my family was more at risk for catching COVID-19 and that I should probably not leave my neighborhood when my state re- opens tomorrow because of crime. [You can close your mouth now. It’s true. Not only is my family in danger of a viral infection, we are prime to be victims of crime. It’s so encouraging to learn such fun facts.]

We are all concerned about this Coronavirus. We definitely understand the perilous financial future the entire world is facing (including my own family)…. but we are steadfastly choosing to be optimistic. And we are determined to find the positive pearls in a sea of dark waters.

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So here’s the Positive Pearl I have for you today!

How did I stumble onto this gem? Oh, I mean ‘pearl’?

I know the world is going to be cutting back for quite sometime. My family included. To tighten the belt on the budget, I decided to trim any reoccurring expense that I could. When I realized we had 6 Audible unused credits, I spent an hour choosing 3 great books …and my husband chose 3 titles from his favorite authors….before we canceled our subscription.

This is certainly not a slight on Audible because I treasure this streaming service, but I now have 3 new books and a couple of other books in my Audible library that I will enjoy. It was a great example of cutting back and enjoying what we already have!

I just started this book today. It is a MUST read (listen) for the person who wants to restart, reset, reinvent, recharge, re-EVERYTHING. So far, I’ve learned about the power of ‘small wins’ and ‘small steps’.

If you don’t have a subscription to Amazon’s Audible, here is the link for the print copy. And, I think some states are opening up their local libraries at reduce traffic capacities, so I bet you can find Atomic Habits there.

Pre-Pandemic, I was always too busy to post on this blog….and now, I realize what a pearl My Written Thoughts is in my life.