Today is Friday, a day that is usually spent in anticipation of a weekend brimming with activities. Instead, I am sitting in a quiet locked office and in a few hours, the state we live in will be under a shelter-in-place order. Our weekend will consist of staying home and fighting for a sense of normalcy that I know we will not find.
I saw a quote posted today on social media and it spoke to me.
I think back to just a few weeks ago when I was spending most evenings working on building my influencer marketing business; increasing my network and taking workshops and utilizing my time after my full-time job to fuel my side business. I wasn’t working out except two times a week and the pounds were creeping on. I was struggling to say no to anything because I was afraid by saying no it would ruin my next opportunity.
Right before the world changed, I was dealing with some petty behavior from a local business owner. I won’t go into it much detail, but there was a very lengthy text message stating that “there have been some unhappy individuals throughout the area that literally feel they have been stepped on by you” – ME- and that two people told this person that they felt that I “stole” their business or idea.
You wouldn’t believe the amount of time I wasted stressed out over this exchange. In fact, the day that I tried to contact them to have an adult conversation was the day that the Coronavirus COVID-19 turned our country inside out. Priorities changed and this petty nonsense no longer required any more of my energy.
Now, as we face a “new normal”, I realize that these are the types of things I don’t wish to rush back to. I will not be conducting my side business outside of two evenings a week. I will be focusing on working out at least three times a week, if not more. I will be prioritizing my friendships with people that want to see me thrive and grow.
I will NOT be supporting people who want the exact opposite for me.
I will be setting aside time for myself to read again – not just to add to my “what I read list” but because I love reading.
I will be making a homemade meal at least once a week – because I enjoy cooking. Did you know that? I love to cook. I get in the kitchen with some good jazz tunes and a glass of wine and concoct an incredible meal with lots of garlic and flavor and tons of calories.
I will never again forsake time spent with friends. I will continue to schedule gatherings and parties and celebrations because I love these things. They make me happy and bring others joy. I value being able to hug my friends. They give the best hugs.
I will spend more time outdoors with my kids without my phone in my pocket. I realize how tied I am to it when I am around them. Now that there’s nothing pressing or anyone to call back right away….I’m leaving it in the house while we are outside. I watch my daughter practice cartwheels and my son make grand artwork with his sidewalk chalk.
I cherish my kids’ teachers more than ever. I never really grasped how much they do on a daily basis for my children. So much of what they know- they know from their teachers. I will make it a goal to try harder to give back to them by volunteering or at least donating more for school parties and functions, because I didn’t really appreciate how much it meant to my kids and to me until it was gone.
I will now be tipping my servers more, because I didn’t realize that how much I enjoyed the simple pleasure of having my meal come to me at a restaurant while I was out with my husband.
I will continue to wash my hands religiously after all interactions and before eating. I will make sure my children do the same.
I will sneak in an extra can of Lysol now when I grocery shop – just in case.
I will book vacations without fear or guilt, but just because we can.
I will remember my local businesses, restaurants, and shops that gave me extra samples or discounts or shared my social media posts from this time. I want to make it a habit of buying from them instead of heading online for convenience purposes.
I want to continue to lift up the people of the state in which I live. I want to influence them for good. I want to be there for them in times of uncertainty. I want to be known as a woman that uplifts and encourages.
I want to remember this time for the things that I will continue to do and things that I have no need for after this.
I hope that we can all make our “new normal” lists and share them to inspire others to do the same.
Stay safe and healthy, my friends.
