A few days ago the weather was absolutely beautiful. It was cool and sunny. So I opened up the door to our front porch, sat down and did some journaling/reflecting.

I thought about the chaos of the last few weeks for my family. Two weeks ago we started phase one of our move from New Orleans to San Diego. My son, Joey, and I drove the 1,800 mile 3 day journey with the Uhaul. The plan was for Joey to finish the school year In California. And Jena, my wife, and other 2 kids, Ethan & Emma, would join us when they finished the school year in New Orleans. 

Two days after we arrived all the schools shut down. Our plans were changed overnight. We flew back home to New Orleans to ride out the storm.

I then reflected on the chaos the entire world is going through due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In that moment, I wrote down some ideas in my journal that have been swimming around in my head over the last week. I think you'll find them helpful

In the midst of the new “quarantined life” we’re living in, I believe there is an opportunity for us to:

1/ PAUSE

• Stop. Reflect. Pray. Just be. Exist.
• Breath. Enjoy a slower pace of life.
• Connect with your family.
• Control is only an illusion. Surrender. Let go of control.
• Do what you can to recharge your emotional & physical batteries. Keep in mind what you do now might be different then before. Just do something.

2/ GO

• What have you been putting off because of fear, lack of time, etc?
• What is it that your heart is whispering to you?
• What can you do right now to get started?
• Now is the time to take action.

3/ SHIFT

• Everything is different…overnight.
• What’s different for you?
• Are you resisting the change or embracing it?
• Embrace the shift. Go with it. See where it leads.
• Instead of letting fear and anxiety overwhelm you, focus your energy on searching for the hidden opportunities that exist in the circumstances you face.
• Every problem or crisis presents an opportunity of some kind.
• Your job is to look for it.

In closing, here's one more thought to consider...

Keep a healthy distance from all media.

• Stay informed on what’s going on, but avoid getting sucked into the fear & drama of it all. 
• You might want to consider limiting how much news you read/watch, and limit the amount of time you’re on social media.
• Instead, use any additional downtime you have to connect with family, read, listen to podcasts, or something else beneficial. 

Hope you find this helpful :)

- Nick Diliberto, Pure Canvas Art