Suffering from Pandemic Blues? Try This
We’re living in one of those movies where a virus threatens humanity, some leaders don’t pay attention to the scientists and everything looks hopeless while the protagonists race to save lives and find a cure despite the politicians best efforts to be total idiots.
Then the heroes save the day, all is well and we can leave the movie theater relieved it was ‘just a movie’.
Except that now we are trapped on the movie screen, the director is gone and there is no one to yell, “CUT!”
This stuff is REAL.
And it’s scary.
But do you know WHY it’s scary?
Because that’s what we’ve been told and that’s what we’ve decided to think and feel about it.
You’ve maybe heard this story before…
A farmer’s horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.
“Maybe,” replied the old man.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy for what they called his “misfortune.”
“Maybe,” answered the farmer.
The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.
“Maybe,” said the farmer.
The farmer is detached from current events in a way that allows him to reserve judgment and see how things play out. He doesn’t emotionally invest in what is happening, but rather he observes it and moves on with his life.
If he had broken down and sobbed when the horse ran away, would it have brought the horse back? If he had been filled with anguish that his son’s leg was broken, would it have mended the leg?
If you are sad, depressed or angry over the pandemic, will that bring an end to it? Is there any emotion or state of mind you can use to make the pandemic vanish? Of course not.
The pandemic is here. It’s real. It’s happening. We cannot change any of that.
But what we can change is how we think about it and how we view it.
We can change the reality we live in with a simple shift of our thinking.
“That’s crazy! It’s stupid, nutty, impractical, short-sighted… do you SEE what’s HAPPENING in the world?”
I do. And I understand the emotions, too, because I’ve felt all of them.
But no matter what I think or feel, the pandemic will still be here.
And so I have a choice – the same choice you have – of how I will respond and what reality I will live in.
I could choose to focus on fear, being highly emotional and overwhelmed as I binge watch the news and hang on the edge of panic.
I could be unfocused, uncertain what to do and playing a wait and see game.
Or I can be strategy-focused on using this time as a massive growth opportunity for myself and the planet.
In my chosen reality, the pandemic is happening. I am social distancing and taking all precautions. But I am also looking at this as a time of renewal and rebirth, a time to choose my priorities and plan my future and take massive action in my own life.
I am choosing the reality I want to live in right now. We all choose our realities every day of our adult lives. My reality is that we are going through a new time that will result positive changes and a better world.
No birth labor is easy, but the result is worth the difficulty.
Just as I get to choose how I view my world, you also get to choose the reality you live in.
And you get to choose it every single moment of every single day.
Pandemic Readers’ Unprecedented Demand
What is it that readers are searching for like crazy right now?
Hint: It’s not toilet paper.
It’s not the latest novel or diet book, either.
According to National Geographic, demand for this right now is unlike anything they’ve seen before.
Upworthy has seen an unprecedented level of growth for this in the past four weeks, with 65% growth in followers on Instagram and 47% increase in on-site page views in March.
We are, of course, talking about good news.
Desire for uplifting stories and news has seen unprecedented levels.
At the end of March, actor John Krasinksi introduced his weekly show, “Some Good News” on YouTube and within a week had over 1.5 million subscribers and 25 million views.
The Washington Post and The New York Times have both increased their good news stories to meet unprecedented demand.
While a good movie or book can distract people from the pandemic, what people want more than distraction is a genuine sense of hopefulness. They want to see people coming together and helping each other, as well as any glimmer of positivity from what’s happening such as pollution levels decreasing.
Can you spread some good news among your readers? You might find it becomes the most popular section on your website and your most shared content on social media.
Businesses That Are Booming During Covid-19
Here’s a list of businesses that are doing exceptionally well during this pandemic:
Nearly anything and everything healthcare related
Natural supplements
Nearly anything food related except some restaurants – grocers, farmers’ markets, produce stands, convenience stores
Restaurants that deliver or offer takeout
Food cultivation such as plants, seeds, farming
Organizations providing social services
Media of every type – newspapers, television, radio and internet
Hardware stores – people are fixing things at home and doing projects they’ve been putting off
Shipping and mailing services as well as delivery services
Distance learning – including and especially online courses of every type
Business that supply or support working from home (think Zoom)
Survivalist info, kits, food, tools, water filters, camping gear
Pandemic supplies – obvious items like masks and hand sanitizer are selling like crazy online
Toilet paper – both in stores and purchased online
First aid supplies
Gun supplies and security services – got to protect that TP, right?
Therapy and life coaching
Home activities for kids to keep their parents sane
Almost anything pet-related – pets still need food and care, plus people are spending more time with pets and are looking for toys, training, etc.
Stocks and currency trading – people need help to make sense of what’s happening in the markets and what to do next
Marketing advice and help for struggling small businesses that are trying to survive
Online businesses, especially those that supply the physical products people want, and those that are teaching new skills like how to build an online income.
Irving
