Sometimes when the pandemic seems overwhelming, I tell myself the story of how it went.

My future self is so smart.

I pretend it is the future, and I use that knowing… that freedom from present day stress… to let today’s me know it’s going to be okay.

So here goes… a little story from future me to present day me…

During the Pandemic of 2020, things started off scary and everyone was blaming everyone else.

I was scared that I would have to work a job where people breathe directly on me, just to make ends meet.

Then I managed my mind. (Isn’t that always the answer?)

I tamed the thoughts born of fight, flight or freeze.

I started enjoying my time off.

I taught my daughter to cook and my husband taught her to play poker.
(Equally important skills, don’t you think?)

Instead of constricting and trying to make things happen, I slowed down and listened to the wise whispers in my head.

I started paring down to doing just what made me happy.
(If you don’t count weeding the yard.)

But I didn’t even do as much weeding as usual. My knees said, “Back off, lady!”

And I listened.

I put my community ahead of my own needs. And that felt right.

I started having back yard girlfriend dates.
I invited people I have been meaning to catch up with to my beautiful patch of land.
We had fires. We had smores. We had mint tea.

I took the time to plan what we would do if Mom’s building came down with COVID19. And they did. And I had my plan so I was the source of calm I wanted to be for Mom. 

I found ways to be supportive of the folks who are on the front line of this pandemic.

I sewed face masks.

I printed PPE on our 3-D printer.

I supported the people supporting the front line workers.

I took the extra time to dive deep into researching and finding solutions for my daughter’s chronic health issues.

I was brave enough to spend MORE money rather than less during this time that my husband was out of work. I accomplished things that I normally don’t have both time and money to accomplish.

I coached women on giving themselves a break and owning their greatness even when money gets scary.
I helped them see the path forward on a journey that seemed so chaotic at the time.

I spent time thinking and having conversations about what it means to live in a democracy.

I aligned my spiritual self with my animal self.

I changed course.

Several times.

I lived in constant creative response to what was in front of me.

I was a ninja, bobbing and weaving and parkouring my way through unexpected challenges.

I eased out of the pandemic, feeling I had contributed and with a new way of navigating life.

I now live life with more integrity.

I have stopped coloring my hair.
I wear my color demarcation with pride. 

I have uncomfortable conversations when it’s the right thing to do.

If given the choice, I would turn down the opportunity to experience a pandemic.

But I am a better woman because of it.

I like the woman I have become because of how the pandemic changed me.

What story is your future self waiting to tell you?

I like talking about the truth… the facts… when I talk about money.

Because the facts can’t hurt us. The facts just are, well, the facts.

Let’s look at the Great Depression. That’s the only time the stock market has lost 86.2% of its value. That means that for every $100 someone had in stocks one day, the average they would have after the crash was $13.80.   

I think most people would consider that a pretty sharp decline.

But here is the part they don’t tell you.

One year later the market had corrected 121.4%.
Five years later the market had gone up 262.7% from its lowest point.

The market can take care of itself.

All you have to worry about is today.

And you can do today.

Enjoy the challenges.
Savor the time with your people.
Take a breathe (not near anyone who is coughing) and step outside.

Fear about money is fear about the future.

Staying in the now means you can’t feel fear about the future.

Notice everything around you…
The smells, the texture, the colors and temperature.

This is now.

It’s a new, beautiful day.

PS – For anyone who is thinking that I cherry picked a rebound that would make you feel better, there has always been a rebound.

In the downturn called “The Great Recession” with the lending/banking issues (period October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009) markets went down 56.8%. The rebound was 68.6% in the first year, in five years it was up 178% and 10 years the rebound was 305.5%.

In the downturn around September 11, 2001 (period from March 24, 2000 – October 9, 2002) there was a 49.1% downturn. At one year they were up 33.7%, five years up 101.5%.

All numbers are cited from American Century Investments.

In the last couple of days the world has gone a little crazy. Things that we know and count on have shifted and reshaped with lightning speed.

There is one thing in common with my clients this week, and that is the fear of not knowing.

At this moment, it’s not the Coronavirus that is scaring the shit out of people. It’s the fear of not knowing what is going to happen that is scary.

It’s the fear that we don’t know what is happening to our money.
It is the fear that other people are making the wrong choices right now.
Or that we are making wrong choices and not even knowing it.
It’s fear of death and losing a loved one.

Here is the underlying truth…

We have never known what the hell is going on.
We’re just under the illusion that we do.

All along we have assumed someone will buy our services because they have valued them in the past.
There was never a sure thing.
There was never a guarantee.
There was never control.

But now the wind has blown up our skirts, and the truth shows itself, and we are reminded that we have control over only one thing.

We are always in control of how we react to things.

We are in control of our own thoughts feelings and actions.

We are all bobbing out at sea keeping our heads above water.
And we can choose to get on our surfboards and feel down into our feet and continually shift our weight back and forth to ride the wave.

Or we can just bob aimlessly in the sea of misery.

I think surfing sounds a whole lot more fun.

There is the choice of letting life happen to you or carving out your own path.

We can choose inaction because of fear. Because doing nothing is a deliberate choice.

Or we can choose deliberate creation.

Right now you can choose who you want to be in a crisis.

I think it feels better to be a helper and the leader of my life.

I know it’s the older folks who are in more danger of death with the virus, so I made a donation to our local Friendship Trays/Meals on Wheels.
I don’t feel like a hero, but it makes me feel better than bobbing aimlessly.

And now I will take the next step and find someone else to help.
Because I don’t have to figure this whole thing out right now.
I just have to decide what to do next.

When you feel financially scared, acting out of your abundance rather than scarcity creates more abundance.

All you have to do is decide what the next step will be.