by Erika
"Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision." - Winston S. Churchill
I will forever be a believer in silver linings, and this challenging year is a perfect opportunity for us to practice finding the silver lining in difficult situations. The pandemic has brought fear in to our daily lives, as well as a focus on our health and well-being. However, along with being fearful comes the opportunity to be brave.
What Does it Mean to be Brave?
Bravery comes in all shapes and sizes. More than ever, it may mean being courageous enough to step out of our comfort zone and find a new way to accomplish routine tasks. Sometimes bravery means venturing out in what can feel like an unsafe world. Perhaps visiting a park and enjoying a nature trail or signing up for Head-to-Toe or Yoga class. For those of us that typically like being out and about and interacting with others, it might mean braving the solitude of our home and exercising safely from there – maybe committing to a daily mantra experience, a squat challenge, or following along with exercise videos. Maintaining your health includes maintaining our relationships, which is especially difficult right now. For some of us, being courageous means reaching out and asking for help in a time when it's so easy to feel alone. Keeping ourselves connected with our support systems, our tribes, is more important than ever. For those of us that are not so well-versed in the kitchen, being fearless may mean making new, healthier home cooked meals – and their families may be brave in trying them. 😊
Opportunity for Reflection
With health being at the forefront of our minds these days, being creative in finding new ways to maintain our physical and mental health is essential. Right now, we're all outside our comfort zone, and that's okay. Being pushed out of our comfort zone is where change happens. It is an opportunity to reflect on where we are, where we want to be, and determine how to get there, both individually and as a group.
Maintaining our health starts with washing hands and social distancing, but it's more than that. It means figuring out new ways to keep ourselves connected, active, and keep our thinking positive. It is a reminder to find opportunity when we are given limitations. It is a chance to find the silver lining.
Staying the Course
In his speech “Citizenship in a Republic”, Theodore Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts; nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…”. Instead of focusing on the limitations and difficult moments of this year, let's use those things as our motivation to be brave enough to stay in the arena.
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