A Pause

Hello everyone! In light of the current situation, I wanted to share my thoughts, feelings, and what I’ve been doing during this time. The weekend right before California went on lockdown or “Shelter in Place” or “Safe At Home,” depending on where you’re living they may call it something different, I was visiting friends and family in the bay area. It was so nice to be home and see familiar faces. However, it was sad to see bars, cafes, restaurants, and streets so empty. Places filled with excitement and life were now so sad and slow. The situation was becoming more and more serious. My trip was fast, and soon I was back in LA. That same night I came back, my job announced it will be closed. The reason I came back to LA was because of work. I was devastated. It’s always hard for me to say good bye, and I was disappointed I couldn’t be in quarantine with family. I cried so hard. I haven’t cried like that in a while. My friends and family comforted me. I knew deep down things happen for a reason, and there was a reason why I needed to be in LA. I was still searching for a roommate so it made more sense for me to be here, and this extra time I’ve been gifted with has been devoted to working on myself and my business.

It seems like our world has come to a halt, as if time is now standing still. Some of us are lucky and are able to work from home or be compensated, and others not so much. The whole thing can be very anxiety provoking. There is a lot of uncertainty out there, and all of us may feel and react to it differently. Regardless, I realize keeping everything into perspective is crucial. Remember to sort fact from fiction, limit how much time is spent on the news or others talking about the situation, ask others for help, find resources to help you, and remain calm, grateful, and positive. Two people may be experiencing the same exact situation but have two very different perspectives and outcomes. By no means, am I disregarding the situation. I am expressing how the situation can be perceived. Do you want to grow from this or let this stump you? The choice is yours. We always have a choice. We can choose to be angry and scared and let the situation control us, or we can be grateful and mindful and let it better us. Again this is easier said than done. You are not alone. We are all in this together, now more so than ever.

I truly believe things happen for a reason. With this extra time, what are you going to do with it? What have you been putting off that you can now do because of it? If this is a huge change for you, what can you do to adapt to this? It’s forced us to stop, listen, and adapt. It’s a time to reset and re-calibrate. So many things have gone virtual – from work meetings to my training sessions. The world is changing. Honestly this is the route personal training was taking any way, but it’s sped up, and now it’s here. I have been working on my online training business for a while, but it wasn’t really in the forefront until now. It’s like life decided, “hey you’ve been putting this off, I’m encouraging you to do it now.” Other activities like cleaning, coloring, and reading I have always seem to put off but can now do more of! With all this time, I have no excuse not to. I even made a YouTube video which I’ve been meaning to do for years! You can watch it here.

Now is the time! We are blessed with this extra time and the present. What will you do with this gift? I hope you get rest and give yourself the love you deserve. I hope you connect with family and friends more, whether it be physically or virtually. I hope you cherish life a little more and never take anything for granted. I hope you make the best of this and come out better than ever! Stay grateful. Stay positive. Stay strong!

Leave a Comment