BONUS- Dealing with the Coronavirus

In this episode, Cindy discusses:       How should I react to the Coronavirus?       What you resist persists       What if the consequences of giving into the fear are greater than the consequences of the virus?       What's a small way you can choose to serve?   Key Takeaways:       Acknowledge what you are feeling, and then choose to focus on hope and possibility       Negotiate your mindset. Choose to reach for a better reality       chose to pull together to serve each other from a mindset of abundance and generosity       It's impossible to stay in a state of fear, anger, resentment, etc. While in a state of gratitude   "We've endured much worse in our human experience. And through our worst moments in human history, we've survived by coming together, embracing our fundamental humanity choosing to see gifts in the face of extreme adversity and sharing that light with others. " —  Cindy Watson    CONNECT WITH CINDY: Website: www.womenonpurpose.ca Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/womenonpurposecommunity/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenonpurposecoaching/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thecindywatson Show: https://www.womenonpurpose.ca/media/podcast/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/womenonpurpose1 YouTube: http://bit.ly/WomenonPurposeYT Email:  [email protected]  Make an appointment with Cindy: https://calendly.com/cwatson-3/60min TRANSCRIPT: Welcome to this bonus episode of The Art of feminine negotiation boardroom to the bedroom. I felt compelled to share this with you given the current panic around the corona virus pandemic and these are just my thoughts on how to negotiate the coronavirus for yourself. Maybe give you a little extra comfort, or at least a different perspective.  These are tough times for all of us. let me acknowledge that right out of the gate. You've no doubt felt any combination of fear, disappointment, grief, chaos, angsty, maybe even rage over the last few weeks in the wake of the corona virus pandemic. And that's okay. We all have. It's important to acknowledge that and to give voice to it. It's valuable to band together as a community and be able to share without fear of judgment. Give yourself and others permission to feel whatever feelings arise. And I also invite you to make a decision not to stay there. Acknowledge these feelings, by all means, then choose to focus on hope, possibility, the power and resilience of humanity, acts of service and generosity. Those of you who know me know I believe that all of life is a negotiation, and that the most important negotiation to start with is the one with yourself.  So in this challenging time, I invite you to negotiate your mindset. I invite you to choose not to stay in a place of single-minded focus on the virus. What you resist persists. Where your focus goes, energy flows, your thoughts and the meaning you give them create your reality. Why not choose to reach for a better reality? Are you scrambling to find safety in the face of uncertainty? Sure, you're not alone, we're all feeling our way through mounds of information inundating us, some accurate, much not. And as you're bombarded with news around the world and around the clock, it can seem like the crisis is consuming you. The situation seems to be changing so rapidly like walking on quicksand. You're looking for solid ground, I get it. I invite you to consider- what if the way to solid ground is to push past the fear chaos and thanks? What if the consequences of giving into the fear are greater than the consequences of the virus? Something to think about. What if the only way forward is to focus on possibility over problems? Now, I'm not talking about putting your head in the sand. I'm not talking about some Pollyanna pie in the sky avoidance tactic. I get that the impact on the economy is significant. And people are losing their jobs and fearful for their loved ones and feeling isolated and alone in all of this. But what if, instead of retreating in self-preservation mode, we chose to pull together to serve each other from a mindset of abundance and generosity? What if we embodied the best of our humanity? What if instead of hoarding toilet paper, we dropped off rolls to our neighbors? You know, my husband has a portable toilet rental business, and he's offered to drop off rolls of toilet paper to anyone in need. Even though his own supplier is currently sold out, he chooses to believe, to give to serve, even in that small way. What's a small step you can take to serve? I invite you to ask yourself that question. We can control external circumstances. We certainly can't as individuals control the coronavirus. We can control how we choose to react. And it is a choice. Challenges provide opportunities, opportunities to be our best self, to lead to support those in need more than us to care for and about each other.  You know, we've endured much worse in our human experience. And through our worst moments in human history, we've survived by coming together, embracing our fundamental humanity, choosing to see gifts in the face of extreme adversity and sharing that light with others. I heard a beautiful quote today and It's worth sharing. I can't find the source. But here's the quote, between stimulus and response there is space, in that space is our power to choose our response in our response lies, our growth and our freedom. I love that it really resonated with me. So let's take the corona virus pandemic is your current stimulus, you have the space to choose how you'll respond. And there's power in that space, your growth and ultimately your freedom lives in that space and the choices you make there. remind yourself of the things you can be grateful for now, in this moment, breathe that in. Let yourself come to a grounded place. Share from that place from a place of connectedness, peace, optimism, love and light. Feel the freedom in that.  Maybe we need to flip our story to ask better questions, instead of "Why is this happening?" or "What's gonna happen to me and my family?" We could ask how can I best show up and step up? Who can I serve? what lessons can I learn and share? What opportunities are waiting for me to discover them? And how can I be even more healthy? Can you feel the difference in that?  As you juggle the stressors of kids home from school or your work shut down, or not risk a loved one, or cancel travel plans or entertainment or whatever your current blade in the gut is, take a moment to identify where you feel it, find it in your body. at first blush, it might seem like it's all encompassing or generalized. But if you let yourself focus, you'll be able to hone in on a particular spot in your body where you feel the eggs most intensely. Maybe your gut, or solar plexus, or throat or chest or temple or somewhere else for you. When you find it, focus on it. focus on making it smaller. visualize it shrinking down and imagine sending it away, watching it received far into the distance until it's a tiny speck that disappears. Now breathe deeply in for a count of four.  Hold for four, out for a count of four. And while you're breathing focus on something you're grateful for. It's impossible to stay in a state of fear, anger, resentment, etc. While in a state of gratitude. Remind yourself preferably out loud, but in your head if circumstances don't allow otherwise, you are totally responsible for your reactions. And why not choose to react with grace?  The beauty of this mindset shift is that it's never too late to adopt it. No need to beat yourself up. If you haven't been showing up as your best self. You're not alone. We have to love our perfect imperfection as humans. To show grace and compassion to others, we need to first be able to show it to ourselves.  So if you've been scared or angry, that's okay. As per that quote above that I shared if this post is a stimulus, you now have the gift of a space before you respond. Your growth and freedom lies in that response. And the beauty is that the choice is all yours. So whatever you decide, know that I am sending you love and light in these difficult times. And I hope you choose to share a message of love, and light as well in whatever way resonates with you.  I expect this episode may trigger some pushback, share your thoughts. Heck Better yet, share the episode with your friends, spread the word, get people talking about it. If you got some value from this episode, or if it got you thinking, make sure to subscribe to the show if you haven't yet. And feel free to grab the script in our show notes if you want to review this content another way. That's a wrap for this episode.  And until next time, go forth and negotiate your best life so you can stop missing out and start getting more of what you want and deserve, from the boardroom to the bedroom.