Lockdown Life Lessons
I don’t want to get ahead of myself, or be lulled into a false sense of security and complacency… but as the conversation continues to shift toward reopening the economy here in Cyprus, I find myself reflecting on this time. I had read an article early on that dubbed this period as The Great Pause, and I feel like that is an apt name.
This is a moment in history that has indeed changed the world for us. The only other time I can remember in my life that comes close to comparison was 9/11. I was in Baltimore during those days managing a bank. That morning, my tellers had locked themselves in the safe to hide and cry. People outside were running around screaming and making sweeping declarations… and I just sat there like a dummy in my green three piece off-the-rack suit watching and waiting for the call to lock the door.
Our world shifted after 9/11. Common behaviors like air travel protocol never returned to the way it had been before. This, I believe, will be the same. My daughter will grow up in a vastly different world than I did, in part, due to this Great Pause.
I try to tackle every challenge as an opportunity. An opportunity to learn and grow in my quest to evolve into the next level — to level up, if you will. So with that, here are my big takeaways that I always knew, but have been magnified almost to the point of burning.
Attitude is Everything
Oh, it’s hot outside.. oh, it’s cold.. this sucks.. this is awesome..
We all see the world through our own unique filters. Filters that have been shaped by our experience. What might be awesome to me could very well suck for you. There’s not really a fault here, it’s just the way it is.
And while I cannot change my past, I can influence how I project my being into the future. This journey begins with my own attitude. The attitude I carry into any given room or situation will indeed influence my experience. If I go in thinking it sucks… I’m pretty certain it will suck.
In my professional life, I have learned over and over that I can train skills, and I can facilitate knowledge, but I can neither train nor facilitate attitude.
In my personal life, I have found that I cannot influence others attitude very well. If someone wants something to suck — it will.
So where does this leave me? My Lockdown Life tells me that my narrative is up to me. I can choose my attitude. And the attitude I choose will influence my next experience.
Slow Down
Staring at tomato plants doesn’t make them grow faster.
How many cars have I wrecked? How many times have I smashed my head on that thing above the stove? Where did this graveyard of broken toys come from?
An almost poisonous combination of being very American, undiagnosed ADHD, regular caffeine injections and a mind that works in hyperdrive sets the scene for the eventual train wreck to follow.
We can insert all of the cliche’s here — Life’s a Journey.. Smell the roses.. blah blah.. but in a more practical daily routine I have found it more useful to actually stop before I engage and tell myself.. dude.. slow down. I had the opportunity to drive into town this week and on the way, I found myself astral projecting into the future… again… Oh when this is over I am going to… and I had to tell myself… bro.. shut up for a minute and look at the road. Look at the cars. Just drive. You won’t do any of it anyway if you wreck the car.
Do Even More with Less
Not because I can’t buy more crap… but because I choose not to.
Not having access to stores the past however long it has been… please behave in this transition period so we can start to rebuild and maybe even go to the theater.. please.. I digress.. Not having access to stores has pushed my creative boundaries past what I had ever imagined.
Coming from the world of International Development, I have always prided myself in identifying existing resources and creative solutions. It’s what you do when when you are attempting to build a sustainable program on a shoestring budget. But this Lockdown Life… it’s a different game. I now have an entire organic garden made up of components that were repurposed.. seeds from our dinner.. wood from an old bench.. a light found in the attic… dental floss and zip ties found in the bottom of a shed as string…
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I don’t guess I know what the future holds for any of us, short or longer term… but I do know how I intend to engage it.
I would love to read your Lockdown Life Lessons. Please leave a comment or send me a message.. or even *gasp* call me.
*Also, Always Avoid Alliteration
