July 23, 2020

By William Daniel Mayer, Honolulu, HI

FDR famously advised, “The only thing we fear is fear itself.” The dark cloud of pestilence has consumed our world however it is not something to fear but embrace. So let’s keep it simple and explore the A, B, C’s of the COVID pandemic. A is for Attitude, B is for Belief and C is for Commitment. More specifically the importance of an Attitude of gratitude,  Belief in yourself,  and a Commitment to excellence! Your strength of belief and your level of commitment is dramatically impacted by your attitude!

Why? Because attitude is everything! Your attitude, good or bad, is contagious! The more you dwell upon quarantine, cabin fever, and the inability to get your haircut, the more painful this time will be.

I reminded myself: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change!”

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I began focusing more on gratitude in attempt to redirect my focus to feeling better and more appreciative of my time in lockdown. And to my amazement, it worked! Instead of asking ungrateful disempowering questions like, “What’s wrong with?, “What’s lacking?’, “What’s missing?” I chose to ask better, more empowering questions like “What am I thankful for?”, “What’s great about this?” With this shift, I was able to embrace and make the best out of this challenging time.

Applied knowledge is power…So…My call to action to all is to look upon these crazy, challenging unpredictable times with an attitude of gratitude. Filter through your world with a lens of appreciation. Choose to light up a room when you enter. Be that beacon of light for others to follow. Appreciate first responders and their tireless efforts to heal and save. Remember Churchill’s words, with this transformed perspective of our current situation: “The will to live triumphed.”