Well, I warned you! In my last article, I told you when things get tough; I tend to look for the positives. It makes me feel better to know that there is some light in all the gloom and doom we’re feeling now. While I know it’s pretty obnoxious, I can’t help myself. It gives me hope.
I found a HUGE silver lining last Saturday, and I’m damn excited about it. I realized something I would never have known if I hadn’t had to adapt to the coronavirus. Isn’t it interesting how resourceful a person can get when we must? Because of my rebellious, independent spirit, one of my superpowers is being able to figure out how to work around things.
I’m not the only one looking for silver linings. Have you seen the videos about how the planet is healing itself while we’re all staying home? It’s amazing. I’m seeing lots of beautiful stories about kind acts and how people are getting creative to show their love. The crazy family-made videos are my favorites. It’s interesting to see what people will come up with to stay entertained.
Three big cheers for the internet! Can you imagine life without it? Being online is keeping me from being cut off from humanity, which is tough on your social butterfly friend. I asked my friends on Facebook recently, “Have you discovered any silver linings yet? What are they?” I got mostly “yes” responses. Here’s what they had to say:
Slowing Down
Lots of people have said they’re grateful for things to slow down a bit, to reflect on what and who is important in life. People have time to read, go for walks, have real sit-down meals, and dig in the dirt. Suddenly there’s time to work on projects, like writing a book or learning a new skill.
Creatives are coping by making work. It’s been beautiful to see how, when times get tough, people turn to the arts for comfort. We need to remember that and appreciate the people who do this usually unappreciated work.
Nesting
All my stress cleaners and overachievers are going to work on their homes. People are getting projects done they’ve been putting off for years. (Not me.) Too bad there’s no place to take items to donate because people are organizing their houses and purging like crazy. (I have done a bit of that, but mainly because I needed to find something.)
Connecting
I’ve had lots more phone conversations with family and friends I haven’t seen in a while. My friends have done the same. When things go off-kilter, I want to pull my people closer. I’ve been checking in on people I know are alone, or that might need help.
Families, especially with teenagers, are grateful for the time together. Couples are coming together, motivating predictions of the next baby boom. And the pets are either confused or ecstatic. They’re going to have a hard time when we start leaving home again.
Were you wondering about my HUGE silver lining? Well, last Saturday, we had our first live online Finishing School class over Zoom meetings, Intuitive Eating: Making Peace with Food and Figure. I was blown away at how great it worked. Now I’m rethinking everything.
I’ve struggled to get online classes going. I thought I needed to have prerecorded classes and memberships, making it all more complicated and consuming than it needed to be. What I’ve realized from being online with everyone is that magic happens when we come together. It doesn’t matter if it’s remote or not.
It was especially fun to have my mom and sister in attendance. They were hilarious, and I love seeing their faces. When I realized they could both come to a class that I’ve wished they could attend in person, it was like the sky opened up and the angels sang. Doing our classes remotely means that anyone, from anywhere, can come to Finishing School classes and participate like they’re in the room. POW!
I love this so much. I’m excited that our far-flung friends can come to play with us too! Even when we can start meeting in person again, I plan to keep a remote component and give people the option to attend in person or online. It’ll take a bit to get acclimated and an assistant to watch over the remote students when we bring it all together. I’ve seen it work before in business meetings. I think we really can have it all.
I looked over the classes I had planned for April and May and made some adjustments. I tried to pick classes that make the most sense right now and which ones will help us in the future. (Check out April’s new classes.)
The classes for May will be released soon, but I can already tell you that Picking up the Pieces: Transitioning Trauma with Janet Federico will be on May 17th. Since we can do the class remotely now, my sister Jennifer will join us from Treasure Island, Florida, to do our super fun Everyday Intuition class on May 30th. We also have a new class in May with Carrie Free, a human resource management consultant. She’s helping me update a class for our current climate – Now What?: Working Through the Pandemic the morning of May 15th.
If you haven’t done a zoom meeting before, don’t worry. It isn’t hard. You can use a smartphone, tablet, or computer to join us online. You can also join us over a landline or regular phone. You won’t be able to see us, but you can still hear everything, and we can hear from you. I’m working on tips for joining our class remotely for my next newsletter, so stay tuned.
I would never have realized this if I hadn’t had to adapt to a business climate that’s changing faster than the speed of light. I didn’t want to shut down at a time when we need to come together the most and have a little extra time to invest in ourselves. I know I need to spend positive, productive time with people outside business meetings. I welcome everyone to join us.
Watch for the silver linings! They are out there.
Much love,
Jill
Comments