Signs of the Times
It’s no secret the world is in panic. COVID-19 has driven fear into civilized society. Major events are canceled. Toilet paper on Amazon is on backorder until mid-April. While the stocks of companies like Zoom and Nest skyrocket, travel and hospitality companies are hemorrhaging for business. The market is sinking to the core of the Earth.
Just thinking about the virus makes me want to wash my hands and hide my money. Many of you are undoubtedly up-leveling your hygiene practices for your family. You may be refinancing your home while rates are at a historic low.
Beyond the Pandemic.
The stories behind the statistics of COVID-19 are heartbreaking, and thankfully we must remind ourselves that the majority of our communities are likely to remain healthy. It is ironic that just weeks ago the major media outlets shared the news on Australia’s catastrophic wildfires, and now a virus born in another major region of the world is figuratively spreading like wildfire. As an optimist, and strong believer in a better future for healthcare and our planet I can’t help but think about the opportunity beyond these catastrophes.
We Can't Stop Living Our Life.
Sadly, there’s not enough hand sanitizer in the world to prevent another death from COVID-19. There’s not nearly enough attention being paid to the state of emergency parts of Australia are still under. Canceling trips overseas may help eliminate the spread of the highly contagious Coronavirus, but one thing is for sure - we can’t stop living our life.
What can we do? One, we must know that COVID-19 and planet Earth do not discriminate. We are all far more alike than we are different, and these times are sending signs that we all must make more purposeful decisions available to us at our currently very dry fingertips.
Here are few thoughts on how we can still stay connected, healthy and engaged in society, consciously understanding that every action, has an equal and opposite reaction.
Shop Locally
While the market is lacking oxygen, small business owners in your backyard are relying on your business more than ever. Consider thinking twice before buying big. Because small businesses commonly rely on building relationships over a customer base alone, I’ve personally seen my favorite local shop owners sanitizing every section of their store and box that enters their walls. Help to protect your neighborhoods and community by choosing to cast your vote within a 5-mile radius. Not only will you come home with something unique, but you’ll also avoid all the extra air time and wasteful packaging your online confirmations fail to list on your receipt.
Family Matters
Your family is capable of spreading the COVID-19 as much as the rest, but a dinner with loved ones is less risky than heading to a bar drinking a drink mixed or shaken by strangers. You also are familiar with other communities your family has come into contact with. Fewer Uber fees and transportation fuel will also lessen the amount of toxicity into our atmosphere. Spending time with those we love is also an effective way to boost our immune system, naturally.
Ditch the Gym
As much as I love the beautiful spring weather most of the country is starting to experience, I can’t say it doesn’t pain me to know why it is visiting us so early into the year. However, take advantage! Our bodies were built under the sun, and nearly everyone is Vitamin D deficient - a massive fighting chemical for our immune system. Yes - even you Sunny Colorado folks! If you work out two or three times per week indoors, consider substituting a visit to the gym with a jog out your front door. You’ll decrease travel time and the risk of being exposed to someone else’s sweat on the machinery. Most importantly, you’ll be reminded why it’s so important for us to be more cognizant about how we treat our beautiful planet, Mother Earth. Hate jogging? You know how much I’m a fan of walking - take a 30-minute stroll!
Welcome the Fresh Air
COVID-19 can travel through the air, but do you know why the flu is more prominent in the wintertime? People spend more time inside during the colder months. Viruses like the flu and COVID-19 are more likely to spread throughout large communities when the flow of fresh air is minimal, and where there is a lack of sun. As the days get longer, make it a point to open the windows and doors in the afternoons for ten minutes to create more circulation and natural light in your home. You’ll personally feel more refreshed - another natural immune booster. With the warmer months getting closer every day, this will cause you to rely less on electricity and fossil fuels too.
Commit to Your Passion Project
After bringing new oxygen into your home, commit to a passion project you’ve been meaning to get off the ground. You’ll be surprised how this brings a lightness into other areas of your life. My passion project this year is to revamp our back patio into space where I can take clients, enjoy dinners with family and friends and grow most of my greens and herbs in an effort to reduce our carbon footprint.
Get Second Opinions, and Third and Fourth or More.
Our healthcare system is currently complicated. Many say it is broken, and I can’t necessarily disagree with them. Most physicians have less than fifteen hours of nutrition science under their belt. I personally put my confidence in a handful of healthcare providers who understand the need to bridge the gap to identify the root cause of medical issues without layering patients with bandaid medication. If you are consistently feeling under the weather, depressed or hormonal, work to find the right healthcare professional for you. In the process, you’ll move the needle in helping the world weed out the working healthcare professionals who are not improving the system. What you should eventually find is a better understanding of your body, how it communicates with you and where the attention needs to be paid. When this communication system is thriving, you’re more aware of your purpose, causing a natural ripple effect the world surely needs of you right now.
In Conclusion
All things considered, I don’t believe anything is out of our overly sanitized hands. To sit back and watch the headlines become increasingly disheartening, and choose to make the same decisions every day seems to be counterproductive towards our evolutionary nature. If you’re sitting in the United States reading this newsletter, this may be the first time in awhile you’re feeling the effect of a pandemic. Could it be that Mother Nature has been trying to get our attention for a while - and now she must send messages through our physical body? Maybe this raises the question of whether or not we’ve become too connected, sacrificing too much for stimulation and experience lacking the understanding and attainability for simple joys in our local communities? As mentioned, I do believe we are more alike than we are different, and COVID-19 is proving this more than ever. Each choice we make has a compounding effect. It’s physics, and signs we should have been paying attention to all along, are now clearer than ever.
Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree years ago.” - Warren Buffet