I started this blog as a response to the shelter in place mandate placed on my hometown of San Francisco 21 days ago, on March 16. My initial thought was to use this as a space to both express myself and connect to others through a period of unknown, and my hope then was to end this exercise after 21 entries, when a semblance of normal life might return.
Clearly that has not been the case.
I wrote about discipline yesterday, and it has been much on my mind. When the external requirements of everyday life are removed – work, travel, gym, socializing – it’s too easy to get lost in the inertia of quarantine, the hours loose and disorganized. Like many with type A personalities, I do well with structure and deadlines and accountability. The amorphous creep of days in our isolation has been doubly challenging for me.
While I do have work to accomplish on a daily basis (at least for now, until my various projects on contract are complete), the challenge has been to create a schedule for my days that gave my days enough of a framework that wouldn’t revert to default and spend all of my time curled up in bed. And while I’ve found the things that give my days purpose – running, walking my dog, making sure family is doing okay, connecting to friends – this blog has given me a daily responsibility.
And so, while I had fully intended to go on hiatus after the first 21, it makes sense for me to continue for the next 21.
How do you adjust when plans change? Do you immediately jump to the new situations or do you experience resistance?
My task today: put on some makeup and do my hair. I find it’s easier to feel like I have my shit together when I’m put together, and I need that right now (done!)
Coronavirus Diary: Mental Health in a strange new world 
“How do you adjust when plans change? Do you immediately jump to the new situations or do you experience resistance?”
I do refer to the Murphy’s laws in my personal life as well as in my professional life. These laws seem sarcastic but there is a deep meaning of wisdom in them indeed. Once I accepted these laws the rest was easier to deal with.
When I was younger I had the tendency to experience resistance. Resistance to change for example. With time I became more used with the concept of wisdom. I don’t immediately jump to the new situations. I more likely now take a deep breath and then do my best to be flexible to surf on and with the new situations. I also try to not have any expectations and instead let it go to the Universe. By doing so some nice surprises happen when I don’t expect anything at all. It’s Marvellous.
As Buzz Lightyears says: “To Infinity and Beyond!”. Oui, mon ami. Hee haw !
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Flexibility is everything. Ironically I’m both more tolerant and more set in my ways the older I get!
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In past days I was always on top of things, extremely organized each day following my agenda on my calendar, meeting clients, closing on properties, and marketing my services. Being a successful realtor and investor, I traveled the country purchasing investment homes. The market was perfect for my passion and interest. It was something I always wanted to do.
The homes were always located in ski areas or by the sea, with spectacular views. While skiing in Vail, Colorado, I was always in awe of the beauty in nature with the majestic mountain range and the moonlit nights, especially in a place where the stars exceptionally bright and the mesmerizing moon cast its spell while reflecting on the snowcapped mountains. One of the restaurants we frequented was only accessible only by gondola with spectacular views that were captivating. The altitude produced an intoxicating but alluring ambiance. Our home was located at 8,000 feet and perfect for entertaining and our street hosted a training ground for Olympic marathon runners.
In 2016, things changed for me forever, I experienced a widow-maker heart attack wherein in an instant my heart stopped I became a memory. At the hospital, the ER was bustling with excited doctors and nurses as I lie motionless on the stretcher. After using a defibrillator I regained consciousness and stents were implanted. I was changed emotionally and physically forever.
The experience became my epiphany and gave me a brand new outlook on life. I soon realized that gratitude made me explicitly aware of the beauty in the world. Life was not about me but my awareness of the world around me. It became an opportunity to share my wonder and experiences with others. Music, nature, and writing became my passion to inspire others to stop, look, and listen each day in awareness of our magnificent planet.
We each have a story to tell and a talent to share to motivate others. Having enjoyed your first 21, I agree with you to continue for the next 21. I know you are extremely busy and challenged, but I appreciate your feedback on our comments.
In closing, I remember reading a quote from Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher around the 5th century BC, whose paradoxical philosophy evoked deep thought in his immortal words: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for its not the same river and he is not the same man.”
W
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What fantastic words from Heraclitus, and something quantum physicists would agree with
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