Contact us to start building your child’s confidence today: email info@ishinekids.com or 773-540-7857.

With all that’s been happening in our world, it is likely you’re experiencing feelings such as fear, uncertainty, panic, anxiety, overwhelm, depression, sadness, grief, or more.

Maybe you’re trying to figure out how to balance working from home with managing the kids.

Maybe you’re out of work because your job deals with the public and you’re stressed about money.

Maybe you run a small business and aren’t sure what kind of impact this crisis will have.

Maybe you’ve got a loved one at home with chronic health challenges and you’re concerned about the impact the virus could have on them.

Or maybe you’re just trying to figure out how to maintain your sanity amongst the chaos.

I too share many of these feelings with you. In addition to the uncertainty around our health and the economy that I am personally feeling right now, I’m also experiencing what can best be described as grief for my son.

As a high school senior, my son is set to graduate in just over 2 months and has been looking forward to (as have I) all of the associated traditions and celebrations, along with the start of his final baseball season as a senior varsity player. I’m hurt for him about the potential loss of some if not many (or all) of these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Which is why I want to share my view with you about what we can do to move through our feelings during this stormy time and come up on the other side, more resilient, hopeful, and even joyful than ever before.

I can sum up my prevailing perspective in 5 words:

Peace * Gratitude * Connection * Creativity * Surrender

Peace

No matter what kind of chaos is happening in your life, you are connected to a source of peace that defies understanding. And yet you don’t have to understand it to connect with it!

I know you have something that brings you a sense of peace. What is it? Is it a particular book, an inspirational podcast, a heartwarming movie, meditation, exercise, EFT, snuggling with your family or a pet?

Think of what this is and do it now. Then, return to it daily or anytime you need to reconnect with that quiet space within where you know all is well.

There is nothing more important than you making it a priority to bring yourself to a space of peace. Plus, it will be far easier to calm others when you connect to your own internal calm first. Make this space your starting point each day and return to it whenever the undesirable feelings creep in.

Gratitude

It is human nature to look for what is going wrong. But now, more than ever is the time to look at what is going right. Recognizing your good allows your brain to be open to seeing more good! And that is good!

Example: Even though I am so sad for what my son may lose as a result of restrictions, I also had a cool realization. Every senior across the country is in the same predicament. They will be forever bonded by this experience. And each of them will have their own unique experience within the experience to share.

Example: After mourning the loss of my ability to taste and smell for months, I was suddenly struck by what I still COULD do. I could still see beauty, I could still feel the warm sun on my face, I could still feel my son’s hug and see his smile, I could still hear my favorite music. I could still talk to the people I love. Soon my heart was so full of all the goodness in my life, despite the loss of taste and smell. And then (and only then) my taste and smell mostly came back.

Example: As an introvert who loves people (but needs a lot of down time), I have to admit there is a giddiness inside me around the fact that I don’t have to go anywhere during this time!

So, absolutely mourn, be angry, let yourself admit your fears, if that is what you’re feeling. But then make the choice to pivot onto what IS working, what IS good, what you DO have, what you CAN count on.

What you focus on expands.

Connection

No one is escaping this situation without some sort of impact. That alone connects us with one another. Instead of responding from a place of competition (for toilet paper ha ha), use your common connection with your fellow man to focus on building relationships.

Although social distancing means we’re not out engaging with each other the way we used to, we’ve been given amazing tools – the internet and cell phones.

We can use these tools to sit in judgement and/or bash other people and bring them down because we don’t agree with them OR…we can use them to BUILD connection, community, and relationships.

We humans thrive on connection, and it is easier than any other time in the history of humanity to be connected during a challenge such as this. How will you choose to use your power of connection at this critical time?

Plus, don’t forget the other important connection that we often fail to make time for…our connection to self. How can you use this time to become more intimately acquainted with who YOU really are, what you really want in life, what is most important to you, what drives you, what your limitations are…all of it?

The more you know yourself, the more you can engage with life at a higher and more fulfilling level.

Creativity

In every challenge there is also an opportunity. In fact, in the classic book ‘Think and Grow Rich’, Napolean Hill writes: “That is one of the tricks of opportunity. It has a sly habit of slipping in by the back door, and often it comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat. Perhaps this is why so many fail to recognize opportunity.”

We are being invited to see things/life in a new way, and that’s exactly what we need to do if we want to see the opportunities that are surely present amidst this challenge.

What used to work isn’t likely to work right now. What is being called forth within you to create?

What are you perceiving as a misfortune, temporary defeat, disappointment, struggle, and so on? What if it was actually be a disguised opportunity?

I personally believe that there are powerful inspirational downloads coming for all of us if we are available to receive them. Downloads about how we can personally pivot, adjust, and change…how we can access more of our creative beingness and tap into new, creative ways of being and sharing.

But if you’re only focused on the challenge side of this experience, you can’t access the downloads. These come from the opportunity side of the experience.

Challenge – Opportunity. Which side will you focus on?

Surrender

If there was ever a time to feel uncertainty and a lack of control, it is now. But of course, with this uncertainty and lack of control comes the perfect opportunity to let go of the need to have-to-know and control everything.

Look, I’m the biggest control freak around. And yet, I’ve decided to allow myself to be okay with dropping the oars, sitting in the uncertainty, and being present to what is, without judgement (as much as I can!).

I’m not going to say it’s easy, and it does require a level of self-awareness and consciousness to be able to notice your reactions and shift them.

But when you can let go and let God (love) take over, something interesting happens.

Ease grows. Life becomes more fun. And more loving reactions show up where control used to reside.

One of THE most important things you can do when there’s lots of uncertainty is to surrender to it. You do your job and let God do God’s job.

What’s your job? To know who you are, what your gifts are, what you want, what’s important to you, and then to do your best every day to express these things. Take actions that are aligned with these things.

And ironically, we are being given a perfect opportunity to discover these things about ourselves right now. How interesting!

On my end, as we watch how these uncertain times unfold, I intend to be open to the creative ways I can serve you. As such, I’m already planning to offer you a number of free resources as well as opportunities that will support you in maintaining a positive, proactive, uplifted mindset and better knowing who YOU are so you can express that YOU fully to the world.

Join me on my new Youtube channel, Unleash Your Inner Wealth, where I’ll be sharing thoughts on all things related to your mindset, particularly around abundance, prosperity, money, freedom, purpose, and how to maintain a positive mindset amidst all that is going on in the world today.

You can watch and subscribe to my weekly videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG5ll0j3pYfEpLqcNLBTjsg/videos?view_as=subscriber

Sending you so much love, Jill