Success in life is all about stacking wins.
In the present tumultuous state of world affairs beset by unprecedented job losses, hundreds of millions of people confined to their homes unsure if the Coronavirus is a man-made bio weapon, a genuine threat to healthy people, or just a mild ailment that only attacks the already health-compromised, there is one certainty. Now is the time to celebrate the small victories. It is your civic duty.
Start off with the smallest of luxuries. Zoom right in. If you are presently enjoying the ability to breath easily, without a wheeze or cough, consider yourself fortunate. Right now there are thousands of people jammed into overcrowded hospitals who are not enjoying that bliss. They are hooked up to respirators, desperately hoping their body has the resources to fight off its determined attacker, entirely reliant upon front-line doctors and nurses for their survival.
If you’re eating fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, pasta, coffee, and bread, then take a minute to consider the folk who are not. In my home country of Australia we are extremely fortunate to be an exporter of world-class quality food. Others around the globe are staring into near empty pantries, wondering how far they can stretch their dwindling supplies. A steak dinner right now is equivalent to an extravagant feast. Eat it slowly and enjoy every bite.
Without the crushing press of shortages in oxygen and food, now is the time for serious planning. Map out any elaborate scheme that has been simmering in the back of your mind. Go grand. Throw off the limitations imposed by everyday life.
Break the idea down into bite sized chunks and start to imagine how it will take shape. What collaborators will be required? List some possible candidates. What are the timeframes? What will be the milestones along the way? Who will benefit from its creation? Write these details down in a dated page of a notebook. With no sport to watch, and one news story to follow, now is the time for an uninterrupted spate of clarity that might just shape the future.
It is also important to keep up an exercise regime. Go for a long daily walk – another proven mind-clearing activity. Nod and smile at those you encounter along the way. And the last piece of kooky advice – climb a tree. You’ll feel like a carefree kid all over again.
Jackson Byrne