“There is only one time that is important – Now!  It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power.”

                                                                                                                       L. Tolstoy

Merriam-Webster defines the term, “Comfort Zone” as a place or situation where one feels safe or at ease and without stress.  Suffice it to say that very few of us, if any, are currently in that place.  It would be better said that we are in the moment, and that moment is unique to each of us. …

“Dare to reach out your hand

into the Darkness,

to pull another hand

into the light.”

In 1970, after ten years as the lead singer with The Supremes, Diana Ross recorded not only her first, but one of her most popular and notable singles, Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand).  Fifty years later, our current reality limits our ability to physically touch hands , but it doesn’t mean we can’t touch a life.  (Why not listen as you read?) According to Vivek Murphy, former Surgeon General of the United States, loneliness is a growing health epidemic.

…

At any given moment

we have the power to say,

“This isn’t how it’s going to end!”

It’s been five weeks since the quarantine began, since the phrase “non-essential work” took on a whole new meaning, and since parents developed a new appreciation for what happens daily in our nation’s classrooms.  Our days are different.  Much of what we took for granted is gone.  For too many it was their job, for others there is no longer a commute; they work from the dining room or kitchen table.

…

“Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all.”

                                                                                                  – Emily Dickinson

How do you start your day?  My Sunday evening coach, Slater, is the VP of Sales for a Philadelphia-based concrete company.  His office is located about an hour away.  On any given morning he is up at 4:00 AM to hit the gym and complete a morning workout prior to heading for Philly.  He will grab his first coffee of the day as he heads out the door. …

The Thought

In the depths of winter,
I finally learned that within me
there lay an invincible summer.

The Challenge

How can we grow in times like this?  What can we learn from the challenges that now confront us on a daily basis?   We can develop a new habit; learning to recognize the benefits that come with challenge.

Our natural tendency is to think of challenges as the mountain that stands between us and our destination. That seems like a negative thing at first glance, but ask any mountain climber what they gain from conquering such rough terrain and you will see a smile.   …