Inspiration for the long haul: drawing from our inner ‘chutzpah’

Grain by grain, a loaf;
stone by stone, a castle.
~ Yugoslavian proverb

My emotional barometer oftentimes resembles the ups and downs of a roller coaster. Maybe that’s why I associate life—and its proverbial thrill ride—to the popular amusement attraction. For example, between the peaks and valleys, I’m traveling high on the adrenaline that fuels my passion for the written word—whether I’m composing an interview for a commercial trade publication or crafting a two-sentence writing workshop assignment. Yet, on the opposite spectrum, my stomach drops as I’m awash with tremendous feelings of guilt and derision—berating myself for the time I’m wasting on the pursuit of “pipe dreams.” Thankfully, however, each of us possesses a middle ground—a place in which we can draw from our inner “chutzpah,” to keep on keeping on, rather than plunge into the depths of limiting beliefs and doubts. But it begins, first, by reminding ourselves why we chose our path.

How do you stay inspired for the long haul?

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Checking in: how’s your mental health?

Now that countless states in the U.S.—as well as countries all over the world—have begun reopening businesses and services deemed “non-essential,” I wonder how many of us will still choose to wait out the storm before diving back into the waters, so to speak. Much of the media reports prove conflicting, which can make it difficult to plan how to best move forward in the safest way. I, myself, struggle with contradictory emotions, vacillating between, “It’s too soon!” to “I can’t put my life ‘on hold’ forever” to “I need to do what’s right for me and my family.” And that’s where I’ve settled as of this writing. I understand the urgent need to claw our way out of the current economic crisis. But I also realize the necessity to manage my mental health now more than ever before. It’s the well-known air travel instruction to affix your oxygen mask first. When we care for ourselves first, we can care for others.

How’s your mental health?

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Looking within: discovering plenty amidst the lack

As I mentioned in my post, “Another way to look at the pandemic ‘pause,’” I’m discovering new things about myself since 2020 took a major detour. While much becomes ingrained in our habits and thought processes simply because “that’s the way I’ve always done it,” the current COVID-19 climate has required a mandatory “pivoting” of our mindsets. One shining example: When my daughter’s gym temporarily closed due to the social-distancing order, it crushed her. Although she knew it afforded a minor inconvenience overall, she dreaded a derailment of her fitness goals. However, after a short-lived pity party, she soon realized that everything she needed to maintain her daily practice stared her in the face. In fact, she recently conquered—and exceeded—her goals. But not without inner resolve, a dash of creativity and a boatload of fierce grit. I couldn’t be prouder of her. It’s heartening how a global crisis can reveal the best within us. If we let it.

Where have you discovered plenty amidst the lack?

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