One thing we can do together if we hide from COVID-19
Experiences don’t stop there. So life is. And exactly the experiences that seem so difficult to walk through, you will look back with gratitude for how far you have come.
We know you are reading this (probably from home at the moment). And we want you to know that we are writing this for you. Others will be confused. You will think we will write this for you. But we are not.
This is for you.
We want you to know that life is not easy for any of us at the moment. Every day is an unpredictable challenge. Some days, getting out of bed in the morning can be difficult. Face the reality of COVID-19 and put on that smile.
But we want you to know that your smile has kept us busy for more days than we can count. Yes, as a reader of this little blog, YOUR SMILE helps us – your willingness to read and strengthen yourself – through.
Never forget that you are incredible even in the most difficult times. You really are.
So smile more often. You have so many reasons for this. Our reason is always you.
You will not always be perfect or act perfectly. We won’t do it either. Because nobody is perfect and nobody deserves to be perfect. Nobody has an easy time, everyone has problems. You will never know exactly what we are going through. And we’ll never know exactly what you’re going through. We are all waging our own unique war.
But we fight our way through at the same time.
Remember, our courage doesn’t always roar loudly. Sometimes it’s the low voice at the end of the day that whispers, “I’ll do my best again tomorrow.” So stand strong. Things are best for people who make the best of the way things develop.
And we are determined to make the best of it together with you.
Turn off the sound
When we get used to a world with COVID-19, we don’t just think outside the box.
Let’s say there is no box at all.
Let us calm our worried thoughts by turning off the excessive noise in our heads for a while every day. After all, it’s a perfect time to slow down. There is no reason not to distract ourselves from (the wrong) things and to find the much needed inner peace.
You know how we usually turn down the volume on radio or television when we need a moment to think clearly?
The same applies to all aspects of our life in general. The sound we have to turn off first? That is the mental sound we hear too often – the worried thoughts that scream about our collective mental health.
Decreasing the radio or TV volume refocuses our mind and gives us a moment of calm and clarity when we need it most. We don’t really think about how or why this makes such a big difference, we just know that it does.
Now it is time to apply the same strategy to all other sounds in our present life, starting with the sounds in our collective consciousness. And while it’s not that easy to turn the radio or TV volume control, the good news is that we can calm our minds and practice thinking more peacefully and rationally by remembering them every day.
The best tool for the job while we distance ourselves in our homes?
Daily journaling …
It’s just a simple practice of self-reflection that can keep us up to date by keeping an eye on peaceful, productive thoughts, even when we’re dealing with all the COVID-19-related noise and chaos that surrounds us. Take a look at this short extract from our latest volume with over 1000 little things that make happy, successful people different:
“If you want to be anywhere in life you need a card and your diary is this card. You can write down what you did today, what you tried, where you made mistakes, and more. It is a place to think. It is a place to hold important thoughts and eliminate the rest. Here you can find out where you have been and where you want to go. And it’s one of the least used yet incredibly effective tools available to the masses. “
If you are interested in logging with Angel and me as we distance ourselves from COVID-19 in the next few weeks, I have listed 21 journal prompts below that we use personally to distract ourselves from things and into one to drive calmer state of being. We have used similar prompts in the past so we can assure you that they bring a healthy dose of awareness and help filter out the excessive noise and chaos.
Challenge yourself to follow us today, while we will read and write every prompt for at least five minutes every day for the next three weeks (21 days). Let’s see how this gradually changes our thinking, feeling and behavior in this unprecedented time.
day 1
The goal is not to get rid of all of your negative thoughts, feelings and current living conditions. That’s impossible. The goal is to change your reaction to it.
What is special about your current circumstances that has stressed you out? What can you do to improve your response today?
day 2
The most powerful moments in life often come when you find the courage to let go of what cannot be changed. Because if you can no longer change a situation, you have to change yourself – in order to grow beyond the immutable. And that changes everything.
What is an unchangeable reality that you have opposed? What can you do now to put yourself in the acceptance of this reality?
Day 3
Love what you do until you can do what you love. Love where you are until you can be where you love. Love the people you are with until you can be with the rest of the people you love. In this way we find happiness, opportunity and peace.
What do you love about your current life situation (despite the existing challenges)? Who do you love today (despite the quirks they have)?
Day 4
Peace does not mean being in a place where there is no chaos, no anger and no difficult realities. Peace means being in the middle of all of these things and yet remaining mentally, emotionally and physically centered.
What is something small that always brings peace to you when you think about it? Why?
Day 5
Too often we say “life is not fair” while eating our food, drinking a drink and reading the news on our smartphones. Think twice and be thankful. Before you think of anything else, take a deep breath, estimate where you are, and see the value of what you have.
What privilege do you have that you take for granted?
Day 6
Happiness means letting go of what you think your life should be like now, and sincerely appreciating it for everything it is. At the end of this day, before you close your eyes, smile and be at peace with where you were and thankful for what you have. Life is not easy at the moment, but there are some good ones.
What do you value most in your current life situation? Why?
Day 7
Everything becomes a little uncomfortable when it’s time to grow. That is only part of the growth process. Everything is getting better. Be patient and remember: Life never gets easier, you just get stronger.
How has the discomfort in the past helped you grow? How can you better accept the discomfort you currently feel?
Day 8
Forgive yourself for the bad decisions you made, the times when you had no understanding, the decisions that hurt others and yourself. Forgive yourself for being young and ruthless. These are all important lessons. And what’s most important right now is your willingness to grow from them.
What exactly do you need to forgive yourself? What did you teach your mistakes in the judgment?
Day 9
Inner peace begins when you take a deep breath and decide that an external event does not control your inner peace. You are not what happened to you. You are what you want to be at this moment. Let go, breathe and start over.
What ideals do you adhere to that you adhere to? What can you let go now (without losing anything)?
Day 10
We waste our time waiting for ideal ways. But they never do. Because we forget that paths are created by walking and not by waiting.
What’s a small step you’ve been thinking about for far too long?
Day 11
It’s funny how we grow beyond what we once couldn’t live without and then fall in love with what we didn’t even know we wanted. Life always leads us on journeys that we would never continue if it were up to us. Have no fear. Have trust. Find the lessons. Trust the trip.
What is something you moved that once meant the world to you? And what do you love today that you never knew you needed in your life?
Day 12
Even if it appears personal, people rarely do things because of you, they do things because of them. And although you may not be able to control all of the things that people say and do to you, you can choose not to let them cut you down today.
What do you often take too personally, although logically you know better?
Day 13
Don’t lower your standards, but keep in mind that removing your expectations of others is the best way not to be disappointed by them. You will be sadly disappointed if you expect people to always do what you do for them. Not everyone has the same heart as you.
How have your expectations of others got the best of you lately? How will you remember to ease your expectations today?
Day 14
Everyone you know is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something. Know that. Respect that. And be especially nice in these tough times. Take some time to really listen. Take some time to learn something new. Take some time to say thank you today.
What can you easily do to be a little friendlier than usual today? And who was the last person to be unexpectedly kind to you?
Day 15
You will not always be a priority for others, so you must now be a priority for yourself. Practice respecting yourself, taking care of yourself, and becoming your own support system in these unprecedented times. Your needs are important. Meet her. Don’t wait for others to choose you. Choose yourself!
How are you going to choose today?
Day 16
By the large scheme of things, a relatively small part of your life is governed by uncontrollable circumstances (like COVID-19), while the vast majority of them are determined by your perspective on those circumstances. Let it work. Regardless of what’s going on around you, peace of mind comes the moment you come to peace with what you think.
What is a specific part of your current reality that you need to make peace with? Why?
Day 17
Stop Resisting To breathe. Be where you are You are where you should be at that moment. There is a time and place for everything and every step is necessary. Just keep doing your best and don’t force what shouldn’t fit into your life yet. If that’s the way it will be.
What is necessary and beneficial about where you are right now? How does it feel to accept this current reality?
Day 18
Just breathe, be and pay attention to what it is like to be YOU right now. Nothing to fix. Nothing to change. Nowhere. Only you, breathing, are, with presence and without judgment. You are welcome here. You belong here. Here you are enough
What is special about you that you have to embrace more openly and lovingly?
Day 19
Give yourself the space to hear your own voice – your own soul. Too many of us listen to the noise of the world and get lost in it. Stay hard! Live by choice, not by accident. Listen to your own inner wisdom today.
What has your inner wisdom been trying to tell you lately?
Day 20
Do not revert to your old ways of life just because they are now more convenient and accessible. Remember that you have left certain habits and situations behind for one reason: to improve your life. And at the moment you cannot go forward if you go further back.
What is an old pattern of behavior that is still trying to sneak up on you? What is a better alternative today and why?
Day 21
There will come a time when you think everything is over, everything is broken … you have reached the end of your figurative path. That is the starting line. Be humble. Be teachable. The world is always bigger than your view of the world. And there is always room for a new opportunity, a new step and a new beginning.
What does “a new beginning” mean for you now?
Let’s be consistent for 3 weeks …
It is the compound effect of simple, seemingly ordinary actions over time that leads to life-changing, positive results. Consider this short quote from our bestselling New York Times:
“It is not immediately sensational to put one foot in front of the other every day for weeks, but in this way many normal people have climbed over 29,000 feet on the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest.”
And it’s not immediately exciting to force yourself to self-reflect through journaling for a short time every day, but this way Angel and I (and hundreds of students and conference attendees with whom Angel and I personally worked) drastically worked better lives.
Remember that the mind needs to be trained to gain strength. You have to work consistently to grow and develop over time. And that is exactly what a daily journaling ritual will allow us to do gradually over the next few weeks. (Hint: Angel and I build other small, life-changing daily rituals like this with our students in the “Goals and Growth” module of the “Back to Happy Course” course.)
So let’s start together today! Angel and I literally start our three-week magazines as soon as I click “publish” in this post.
Are you going to join us?
Please leave us a comment below and let us know.
Our podcast, THINK BETTER, LIVE BETTER (yes, it’s the title of our annual live event) can also be used as a tool to keep your mindset on the ground while you distance yourself socially, etc. You can listen to the whole thing first Season – 30 episodes – on your favorite podcast player (M&A on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts).
