The CoVid-19 pandemic has swept over the globe like a tsunami. How much it has changed our lives is mind boggling. In many ways it has set us back in time while in other ways it’s propelled us forward with innovation.

Life as we knew it is a memory.

We’ll think differently about so many things in life because of how the CoVid-19 pandemic reset our daily lives without our permission.

However, this catastrophe gives us the opportunity to rethink and reset our lives with intention.

There are things can’t control, but how we use this time will determine how we emerge when it’s over.

You should never let a serious crisis go to waste! —Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel

RETHINK THE PAIN

The familiar phrase what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger isn’t true. It can be, but it’s possible to survive this pandemic and not be stronger.

There is an abundance of pain with this pandemic.

Emotional, mental, financial and even physical pain in varying amounts are being experienced by everyone.

To become stronger means you have to choose to rise up, embrace the pain and bring about change.

We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey. ―Kenji Miyazawa

If you’ll choose to respond in this way you’ll reset your life through transformation and experience personal growth. Each time you do this you get stronger.

• What if you saw your pain as useful? How can you use your pain?

By rethinking your pain you can reset your life to grow.

RETHINK PRIORITIES

When things are calm and times are good, it’s easy for our priorities to get out of order. We get sidetracked by distractions and lack of focus.

But when a crisis comes along, like this global pandemic, what really matters to us becomes clear. These are the things we need to give priority to and create boundaries to protect them.

• What is most important to you? What does it look like when they are a priority?

By rethinking your priorities you can reset what matters most to you at the top.

RETHINK RELATIONSHIPS

Relationships are of vast importance in our lives. We’re seeing this displayed all over the world as people find ways to connect while social distancing.

We’ve never been more emotionally connected while being so physically distant. —Futurist Thomas Frey

During this stressful time we’re seeing how different people behave. Some are building people up while others are tearing people down.

Good relationships build one another up by listening, empathizing, respecting, and encouraging one another. Having good strong relationships adds so much joy and value to our lives.

• During this time who are you making a priority to connect with? Who are you disconnected from that perhaps it would be better to stay that way?

By rethinking your relationships you can reset with investing in the best ones.

RETHINK FINANCES

The current pandemic is having a financial effect on the world. Just how much we won’t know until after. Many people were not financially prepared for this crisis due to debt from impulsive spending. Others for different reasons.

My brothers were in the Boy Scouts when I was growing up and I remember one part of their motto was be prepared.

I understand it’s not always possible but it’s a wise thing to seek to be prepared. Why? Because things happen. Difficulties of all different sizes and kinds happen.

• Are you an impulsive buyer? Do you pay attention to where you spend money? Can you learn something to prepare you for a better paying job or promotion?

By rethinking your finances you can reset your life to be better prepared for the next crisis.

RETHINK YOUR FAITH

Faith is what we believe. What are you believing in the midst of this global pandemic?

Are you riddled with fear? Are you having trouble sleeping? Are you ruminating on the what ifs?

If your answer is yes to any of those then pause and ask yourself a new question. It’s a question that Jesus asked his disciples after he calmed the storm where they were afraid they were going to die.

Jesus asked them, Where is your faith? It wasn’t a question of not having faith. It was a question of where it had been placed. Faith is something we use with intention, we put it somewhere. The disciples had their faith in the storm instead of in Jesus.

• Do you see where you’ve put your faith? Do you have any *spiritual trauma in your life that hinders your faith? Do you wish you believed something that you don’t?

By rethinking your faith you can reset it with intention on what you want to believe.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. —Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

RETHINK YOUR SELF

How do you think about your self. A term we keep hearing during this time of shelter in place is essential. Essential places and essential workers.

I understand what is meant by essential in dealing with this pandemic but I’m concerned about the use of that term. Why? Because whether you’ve been given the label of essential, or not, you matter.

There are stories of people committing suicide during this pandemic because their self is not getting what it needs. It may be the isolation or the feeling of diminished value. But the truth is your self has immense value.

It’s important for you to know how much you matter—right there, right now, reading this article. The well being of your self is essential because it’s the self that does the rethinking and deciding.

• What do you need? Are you doing proper self-care? Are you hurting your self? Have you even thought about it, intentionally? Do you love your self?

By rethinking your self you can reset your life with the best choices.

WHAT NOW

What area are you going to RETHINK and RESET?

TAKE ONE of the following tools to assist you:

• A Bird Named Payn
• *Emerging With Wings
• Words to Feed Your Faith
• Love’s Manifesto
• Because You Matter
• 7-Day Challenge to Love Your Self

Danielle Bernock

Author, Coach, and Speaker helping men, women, and organizations EMERGE with clear vision of their value, TAKE ownership of their choices, and CHART a path to their promise, becoming Victorious Souls who Embrace The Change from survive to thrive through the power of the love of God

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