How to control the fear
In March 1933, FDR, in his inaugural address said:
“…the only thing we have to fear is fear itself…” which today maybe truer than we want to admit. But, how when the world is in turmoil do you control that inner voice that is screaming: run, hide, eat or even better, buy some shoes?
As you close your eyes tonight and review the day, how do you rein in that inner voice of doom and gloom and stay positive? Here are a few thoughts.
- You have a choice every morning as you put your feet on the floor, you can be positive or negative. It’s at that very moment that you can decide to either view the glass as half full or half empty.
- Surround yourself with positive things. As I drive to work, a Motown moment helps me builds a positive attitude to get me through the day. Nothing like Diana Ross to get me singing and it’s hard to worry when you are belting out “Ain’t no mountain high enough….”
- During the day make a conscious effort to accent the positive and avoid the negative. If you have lunch every day with a “naysayer”, someone who always has a negative spin on things, it’s likely to rub off on you…so stay away. Stick with the positive folks and besides they a whole lot more fun.
- When I am writing, which as a CEO I do a lot, I proof for spelling, but now I also proof for the positive. Have I phrased anything in the negative that I can turn around to the positive?
- Throughout the day I make an effort to share the positive…a word of encouragement, a positive email or some good news. Yes, good news should travel fast!!
- Avoid media that yells doom and gloom. The television has an off button!!!
- At the end of the day, when I begin to hear that inner voice again, I take the dogs for a walk. Needless to say in the last few weeks, they have been walked a lot. The end result is I push away that fearful voice, the dogs are happy and I sleep better, which makes it much easier to be positive.
Controlling my inner fear and being positive enables me to be a better citizen, library leader, friend, wife, pet owner and hopefully successfully navigate these troubled times.
Stay safe, wash your hands and … Ain’t no mountain high enough…….
Kitty Pope March 16 2020