How to stay strong in fragile times

We are living in a fragile environment.  That is the best way that I can describe the current situation in the world.  One word – fragile.  There is so much unknown; like at any minute everything could just fall apart and break.  Lives are fragile.  People’s emotions are delicate.  People that usually seem strong, also appear that at any minute they could crash.  What do we do with the situation we are in?  How do we stay strong in fragile times? 

Think about the first time someone handed you a newborn baby to hold.  Two responses immediately come into play – Focus and Care.  Right away, everything around falls to the side and you focus on that beautiful newborn baby.  And, you also handle that baby with care.

How about running in an egg race, where you hold a fragile raw egg on a spoon in front of you, and race towards a finish line.  Focus and Care again come into play.   Focus on the egg, and handle with Care.

It’s another way of saying “I’m going to manage through a tough situation with my head (focus) and my heart (care)”.  We need a balance of both responses.  

Here are a few of my basic steps that you can use on a daily basis to manage through with focus & care during this fragile time:

Focus:

·      Set priorities in the morning - one to five important goals.  Write them down or tell someone what you plan to focus on for the day.  Revisit them often throughout the day to keep you actively engaged in positive movement.

·      Eliminate distractions that aren’t serving you for the day until later.  Willpower is a muscle.  Use it early in the day, because at the end of the day it is harder to eliminate distractions.

·      Exercise in the morning to get your brain going!  According to Forbes, this is a great way to power up your focus.  I go for a run every morning, and it helps me generate ideas and get the day started with accelerated energy.

Care:

·      It is well researched that if you start your day with gratitude, it puts you in a state of positive humility.  People gravitate to others who are humble, yet confident and give positive energy.

·      Let others know how you feel.  Express care, love and concern with grace and empathy.

I believe that if we can ask and answer these two questions every day, we will get through these tough times together.  What will I focus on today? Who will I extend care for today?

Peace be with you.