Piloting Your Life: In-Flight Entertainment (Can’t stop the feeling) (Mar 17, 2020)
Welcome Back My Boogie Woogie Passengers:
I know this is what your home is looking like right now…an all day, every day, dance party. You are feeling good, confident, certain about the future, and are enjoying every moment of sheltering in place and social distancing, especially if you have kids.
This may be more of your reality. I know this feeling and there are times that I find myself staring off into space with my heart racing a little and massive fear and anxiety. I’ve had a few moments of respite from these feelings as I have been able to focus on my work or cooking or spend time with friends via Facetime or Skype. These moments have been critical for my sanity.
This morning I stopped looking at the news and social media for about four hours as I worked and it felt great.
Then I spent about 15 minutes looking at the news and felt myself getting anxious again. I got into the tub and flipped through social media and found myself unable to focus; I wanted a distraction and opened Audible.
I scrolled through and started to listen to Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. It was perfect. Within the first five minutes I was laughing at the content and the perfect timing of the messaging.
It sucks right now people. Where I live, we have been ordered to shelter in place for three weeks. That’s 21 days (long enough to build a habit…hopefully it’s a good one and not a bad one).
We retrieved our son from SDSU in anticipation of housing closures at his school (they’ve already gone 100% online) so we are a full house with an unhappy nearly 19 year old who was stripped of his independence and freshman college experience. Our other child, Rei, will be just fine.
The US economy is coming to a screeching halt and crashing all around us as the evidence of greed and lack of social support and safety nets becomes strikingly clear. We are all going to pay for this for a long time. We just don’t know exactly how and for how long. My heart hurts for the people who are suffering and will suffer during this difficult time.
At the same time, I remain optimistic that we will learn from this; we will come together to create a better place for more of us, not just the privileged 1%. Call me delusional but I must hang on to hope as we endure the challenges and find a way to rise from the ashes like a golden phoenix. Ok, enough flowery language; a poet I am not.
How can I remain optimistic in light of all that is going on? First of all I am an Aries, the sign of renewal and rebirth. It’s also the sign of innocence, bravery, creativity, so really, I just can’t help it (yes, we are going to ignore the negative Aries traits).
My 50th birthday is coming up in less than three weeks (April 5th) and I’d already decided to postpone celebrations until I turn 52 (which is a good thing because we postponed our annual trip to Palm Springs). I am starting the second half of my life and there’s a lot of living left to do in the next 50 years. I refuse to give in or give up even if I have to consume a few gin and tonics to make this time bearable. It’s 4 PM somewhere.
2020 is drunk, you know the fall down, sloppy, vomiting in the gutter drunk and needs to go to bed and we need a restart after a greasy breakfast in the morning.
Do what you can to maintain your sanity right now. Food can be medicine. Don’t try to do this alone. Facetime or Skype with friends…see each other’s faces regardless of how working-from-home-frazzled-crappy you might look (don’t judge me!).
Just because we can’t be in the same room doesn’t mean we can’t connect. Be intentional. Reach out to people you think might need some help. Reach out to people who can help you. You don’t have to be alone in this. We are all in this together!
Everyday Women
On a more positive note, if you know of a woman (or are that woman) who is doing great work in the world (who isn’t already a celebrity), drop me a line with her (your) name, social media link (so I have the right person), and a brief statement on what you are doing to make the world a better place, especially for women. I am still looking for every day women doing every day things to change the world. pilotingyourlife@gmail.com (or simply respond to this email)
YouTube
I’ve been thinking a lot about anxiety and worry and decided to talk about it in today’s YouTube video. Take a few minutes to watch it to feel less isolated, less alone, and perhaps giggle a little. It’s been another doozy of a week (theme of the year) but that doesn’t mean we can’t connect over shared experiences.
Sending you extra love and a virtual hug today. If you need more, drop me a line and we can do a virtual cocktail hour. 21 days is long enough to build a habit; mine might be a 3 PM alcohol habit.
With much love and gratitude,
Terri
P.S. Take the controls and be the pilot in your own life. It’s a beautiful day to fly, and you are cleared for takeoff.
Song: Can’t stop the feeling (Justin Timberlake) Note: I originally planned to use REMs It the End of the World as We Know It but that is trending right now and I hate to be trendy. I thought a little positive JT and recognition that we can’t stop the feelings were more appropriate.
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