This post was originally published on healyoursoul.net on 7/27/2020.
Finding hope during a pandemic? Is that even possible? When we are separated from friends and family, encouraged to stay home as much as possible, cut out most of our sources of entertainment, it can feel a bit hopeless. It can feel like this is never going to end. And when we see others thriving, learning to bake bread, build furniture, remodel their houses, homeschool like a pro, it can make us feel obligated to do all the things, and do them all at the same time, which very quickly becomes overwhelming and can lead to anxiety, and feelings of “not enough”, and more hopelessness.
But I think finding hope during the pandemic is absolutely possible, if we know where to look and what to spend our time on. And the best part is that this can easily be translated into any situation where you are feeling hopeless and overwhelmed. You just have to know where to look.
One of the things I learned during this isolation period is that I am not nearly as efficient at working from home as I expected I would be. I have an office where I can close the door and be uninterrupted, I have my laptop, keyboard, mouse, and second monitor, so it should be easy peasy, right? Wrong. Having a big desk at work versus a teeny tiny desk at home makes way more of a difference than I expected. But I choose not to let that stress me out. I choose to accept the grace that my boss is giving me, and recognize that even though this may seem never-ending, that’s just a feeling and not really the truth.
Another thing I learned is that I like my family much more than I thought I did! Just kidding, kind of. In all seriousness though, I thought being around my husband and son literally 24/7 would drive me bananas very quickly. And I’m not going to lie, there are moments, especially as the days drag on and the kid is bored out of his mind without social interaction or nearly enough outdoor play because it is ridiculously hot outside which results in him getting hives every. single. time. But I’m actually really enjoying being home with them. It has created a stronger bond between the three of us for sure. I love being able to spend a little more time with them in the morning (or a little more time in bed). I love having lunch with them every day. I love being able to say hi and get hugs and kisses when I leave the office to grab water or a snack or to use the bathroom. And I even love hearing my munchkin playing who-knows-what in his room that shares a wall with the office. Right now he is having a battle with spaceships that he created out of these really cool building toys called Brain Flakes that my sweet sister bought him for his birthday.
But this wasn’t always the case. If this pandemic had hit 3 years ago, or worse, 5 years ago, I’m not sure we all would’ve survived. And I’m almost positive our marriage wouldn’t have survived. You see, 3-5 years ago I was struggling with severe anxiety and anger issues. I was miserable, and that made me a miserable person to be around, especially for my family. My reactions went from 0-10 in a matter of seconds, even when the situation called for a reaction of just a 3 or 4. It was always a 10 for me. It made for a very stressful and unpredictable environment for my husband and preschooler.
But then I submitted myself to training and refinement. I went to a seminar that I thought was just a business training, but ended up being so. much. more. Almost immediately my anxiety was reduced significantly. My reactions improved drastically. Let’s be honesty though, I’m only human and I’m imperfect for sure, and I definitely still screw up, especially back then. But things steadily got better. I kept plugging in to this training, both online and in seminars. And every time, I learned more about myself, about my family, about my triggers, and about how I could improve myself and my situation.
And honestly, if it hadn’t been for this training, even without the pandemic, I don’t know that I would still be married today. Maybe I’ll tell the full story another day, but today this brings me back to the point of this whole thing. Hope. And knowing where to look for hope in a seemingly hopeless situation. And maybe you are reading this and thinking, I’m good. Who cares? Suck it up buttercup. Or life is rainbows and butterflies right now. And that’s great, I’m so so happy for you. Really. But, if you are like I was just a few short years ago, struggling to keep your head above water, drowning in debt, trying to manage broken relationships, or just ready to throw in the towel completely, either on your marriage or on life in general, please listen up.
There is a better way, I promise. And the silver lining of this pandemic is that now these seminars are being held virtual, which means you can do it from the comfort of your own home, you save on hotel, flights, and hotel food (hello!), and on top of all that savings, they are even charging less for the event as well! So if any of this sounds like it could maybe give you hope, I really encourage you to go to www.danijohnson.com and click on the Events page, and get registered for the next First Steps to Success. And while you’re there check out the free content as well. And I promise you, if you do this, your life will not be the same.
So tell me, because I would love to know. Where are you finding hope during the pandemic, and how is it changing your life for the better?
P.S. I get nothing from promoting DaniJohnson.com or the events. This is simply my way of paying it forward because I am so grateful for the intense healing my family & I have gained because someone else was willing to take the time to share it with me.
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