Over the last several months, Rebecca & I have had several conversations about how naïve we were about what was coming as we were putting the 2019 Holiday Season behind us. We were unconcerned and barely aware as COVID-19 was breaking out on the other side of the globe. And like so many others, felt that sense of immunity right up until mid-March when everything around us ground to a halt. At first, it was a shock. In my lifetime, I have never had to worry about whether I could buy a roll of toilet paper when I went to the store. Crazy-right? And now, as we begin the approach into Holiday Season 2020, it seems as though the last 6-7 months have been a nasty version of Disney’s Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. (The only version we get, by the way, with Disneyland, shut down) But then, as we settled into this thing, we realized we had to be cautious of more than just contracting this deadly virus.

Like too many others, we did not know how safe we were or when we would be able to get back to work. Because of this, we decided, also like so many others, that we had to work to find some sense of mental and emotional normality as we moved through this uncertain time.

Having spent many years working in the mental health field, I know that it is much harder to change a feeling than a thought or an action. Early in my education, I learned that physical activity is the best place to begin an attitude adjustment. We have had a regular exercise routine that has been a part of our lives forever, but a bonus is this extraordinary place that we get to live. It seems the only motivation we need to move our bodies is to step outdoors and take in our surroundings. A walk, a jog, or a bicycle ride around the neighborhood, harbor, beach, or even into the local parks or mountains will feed our souls. We know that our attitude, or in other words, the lens through which we view and experience our world, can change dramatically if only we can choose to move our bodies!

Another thing that has changed dramatically is our ability to interact with family, friends, co-workers, and clients. Heck, we’ve even missed the servers at our favorite restaurants. Yet, while staying connected has become inconvenient, it is impressive how quickly we all can adapt to things if we need to. Wearing a facemask is odd and unfamiliar, but even more so is the use of Zoom for communication. And now, both have become critical pieces of managing our business and social relationships. Regardless of how we do it, maintaining business and social contacts is vital to our mental, emotional, and economic health.

Rebecca and I would like to take this moment to say thank you to friends and family for staying connected to us, to our clients who have trusted us during these trying times and worked with us to make sure that we are all kept each other safe. But we would also like to say, if you need an attitude adjustment because “sick of all of this virus stuff,” maybe its time to grab your walking shoes (and a mask) and get out and experience this magnificent place that we get to call home.