When you look back on this time 6 months, 6 years, 6 decades from now,
What will your pandemic story be?
I was listening to a live video yesterday from my mentor Bo Eason as he talked about preparation and practice. He described it as 90/10. Amateurs live for the show.
Pro's know that practice is 90% and the big game is 10%.
But I found myself wondering if you could possibly practice TOO MUCH as I never seem to feel a contentment when my big day comes.
I deliver the speech, go on the podcast, shoot the sales video, and I thought that was it.
If it went great..great (as it always does because I practice), and I thought that was it... done.. next...
Bo told me,
"The event IS part of the practice."
Wait.
What?
And we get stuck.... because we find ourselves trying to make it "perfect" just the way we delivered it.. THEN we never evolve.
(OR we simply don't prepare enough and it bombs.)
I couldn't help but think about this time in pandemic.
THE EVENT IS PART OF THE PRACTICE.
This is our event. This is our time to build resilience. This is part of how we DO LIFE.
Does it suck.. sure does. Our grocery bills are now 4 bazillion dollars.
Are parts "unfair?" Yep, we miss our activities and productive slays of the day.
Is it easy to go stir crazy? Sure. I personally haven't left the house (other than a walk or run) since March 10th.
But here's what I do know:
1. Others would gladly switch places with us for things we complain about.
The single mom who can't afford to put her kids in soccer or martial arts, or has to work 3 jobs to pay for it. She'd trade places with me in a second as I complain about "making it all work."
Being stuck in the house? The homeless man on the street would die to have a roof over his head and a couch to sit on.
Vacation got cancelled? When I was an ICU nurse I had to get my vacation "approved" and was often told NO as I was the lowest on the totem pole. Front line workers are not thinking about their vacation approvals.
Pain is pain, there is no hierarchy, but check it.
2. This isn't a blip. This isn't something we wait for to pass. This is a part of the plan.
What have you learned about yourself in this time? What do you not want to run back to? What's going to change?
What do you miss the most and you'll appreciate it more when this is past?
THIS EVENT IS PART OF THE PRACTICE.
When I immigrated to Canada in 2005 to be with my husband (then husband to be) we had no help. It was HIM and ME.
We had to pay an immigration lawyer thousands of dollars. We were told NO at the border time after time because the the College of Nurses of Ontario (the governing body) didn't recognize my PA nursing license, and they wouldn't let me take my boards without being a resident.
I was stuck in the middle. Take the boards then become a resident. You have to be a resident to take the boards.
(I eventually got a nice officer who granted me a temporary status so I could take the test. I passed.
Then I was able to get permanent resident status and I became a dual citizen in 2013.)
All we knew was that we loved each other. We wanted to start a life together and we were willing to fight for it. That event was part of the plan as we're still stronger than ever in our marriage 15 years later.
Life is happening FOR you.. not TO you.
Look for the clues and make that your pandemic story.
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Have you read my best selling book yet? It's a collection of stories from myself and 30 other women around the world of resiliency, strength, and courage.
