TIME TO PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD.

Raise your hand if some part of you is a little scared of going back to \’reality\’ so to speak?

I am; but, probably not for the reasons you think.

For the first time, it feels that many of us -despite who we are or where we come from, social standing or income, are somewhat on the same boat. Let me rephrase that. We\’re in the SAME storm, but maybe different boats, as one friend jokingly put it. There\’s a collective worry, confusion, peace, nervousness, anxiousness, that I think we are all sharing to some extent- some more than others depending on our situations.

There was some relief knowing though, that when talking to others, whether friends or strangers (6ft apart, of course), there is truth when you hear them say, \’I don\’t want know what\’s going to happen,\’ or \’Just taking it a day at a time.\’ We\’re all just trying to do the best we can.

As we slowly emerge from these \’stay at home\’ orders, how will you be different? Or will you? I think about that too. The uncertainty definitely triggers my anxiety as things change daily- job markets, travel restrictions, even school calendars. The more I feed into the worry, the more my mind races and my anxiety escalates because I don\’t think any of us have a blueprint of what this new normal looks like. We\’re all just figuring it out as we go, and I\’m learning to navigate those waters and be okay with that.

When I notice my mind going into those endless what ifs, I reign them in like a horse because I know they serve me no purpose. I can\’t control everything and knowing and accepting that is the first step. I focus on what I can control, which is basically my reaction and outlook on things. Learning to be okay with not knowing what comes next, and knowing that though life is a bit in limbo, I have maintained a sense of normalcy and routine for my family and I, and that in the face of the unknown, is pretty remarkable. To my children, I\’ve given them a fulfilling stability that has allowed them to be cool and calm (albeit minus some meltdowns) throughout this shift.

I\’ve noticed I\’ve been a lot kinder to myself, as in I\’m not beating myself up as much if something doesn\’t go as \’planned.\’ I equate having control or being busy, with being proactive and successful. That\’s not always healthy. Not being busy or not having control has zero to do with your success as a person. It doesn\’t make you a failure. Once you realize that, things start to shift in your thinking. It took me a long while to realize that.

My question to you is this, how will you put your best foot forward? For me, that means putting faith in God that everything will be okay, even when it\’s hard to do that. It means showing up everyday despite the uncertainty knowing that I AM doing everything possible to keep a steady, happy, healthy environment for my kids and my family. It\’s knowing that I don\’t have it all figured out and I have zero clue what\’s going to happen and that\’s perfectly okay, as long as I show up 100% in all I do.

That is enough. We are enough. You are enough.

Hang in there. Our boats can take it.

In Style,

Kathy