this will be in the history books. our children’s. their children’s. the way we read about colonization and the bubonic plague. the way kids today read about 9/11 and Obama as the first African American president of the United States. shoot, even similar to the housing market crash of 2008 being depicted in 2015’s The Big Short. today will be documented and remembered for decades to come.

& while that can seem so monumental in a fabricated sense of retrospect, it truly is frightening for many of the people around us. minutes ago, I received a notification from my Apple News that told me the United States has more confirmed COVID-19 cases than any other nation. we’ve seen the debilitating effects it had on the citizens of Italy. we’ve watched coverage of the outburst of unemployment claims in our United States over the past week. it’s very easy to turn your head and be backed into a corner of stress and panic today. it is everyone’s reality. so today, I wanted to present an alternative perspective and approach to our temporarily quarantined lifestyle. because even disaster can have a silver lining.

we’re knee-deep in a period of individuals being forced to work from home, or being away from work entirely. (I say this nicely - I’m aware that numerous individuals have suffered the loss of jobs). but one good thing we can pull from this: have you ever had so much time to use selfishly?

the well-being approach should be clear over the next few weeks.

recalibrate.

get your 8 hours of sleep in nightly, and don’t abandon your body’s optimal sleep schedule. drink more water and take your vitamins. there’s a chance you aren’t filling your daily planner with much else, so try to prioritize these small goals. don’t have a planner? get a planner. prefer tech like I do? use the Reminders or Calendar on your phone or laptop. the big takeaway here is to adopt good habits while you have the time. we will conquer this pandemic and life will get back to its usual pace. how exciting would it be to hop back onto the playing field with a new approach and understanding of yourself? has anyone seen LeBron James this season after a full off-season away from the game?

now would be a great time to work on those little aspects of your character that you’ve been meaning to work on, too. did you have a goal to become more sincere and generous in 2020? the opportunities are there. just keep your eyes open for them. for starters, follow the CDC guidelines and show your loved ones how much you care by staying away from them. love has never been this easy! but make the efforts to interact. FaceTime that old friend and catch up with them. lend a listening ear to someone who is truly struggling to get a grip with the debris of this economic earthquake. call your grandmother first for once since you’re “always on that dang phone.” show the ones you care about how much you care. and show a stranger that you care too, even if the opportunity catches you by surprise. we could all benefit from embodying the togetherness we need.

find your peace. if you could never find those five or ten minutes to meditate before, you probably have more minutes than you can handle nowadays. start or end your day with some breathing techniques and let your mind run its course. prefer guided meditation? my favorite meditation app, Balance, is offering a free 1-year subscription for the month. simply download the app and claim your free year. & journal. pen and paper. or Microsoft OneNote like yours truly. or even your Notes app. document your days, your moods, your thoughts. find the trends and identify any areas of trouble and attack those areas relentlessly. we all have so much time to make some headway, let’s capitalize.

be an uplifter. more than ever, a kind word will go a long way today. it might change the trajectory of someone’s day because they truly may not have much else to look forward to.

for my social media bingers. yes, you with the 53% spike in screen-time in the past 10 days. (I know you’ve been ignoring the iPhone notification). the world of Instagram and FaceBook can be a toxic one if you allow it to be. now might be a great time to be a little more strict about the content you choose to follow. tailor your timeline to reflect who you want to be, not who you are. follow some meme pages that have a knack for posting insensitive content that you don’t really find funny anymore? been there. unfollow. if you have an old friend who doesn’t really post the type of content you want to be seeing, feel free to use that ‘mute’ button. and if you’re one for the entertainment, I hear TikTok is the app to have. make your media another outlet of growth and entertainment, but let it be so in a healthy fashion.

staying on the topic of media, be bold enough to change your usual narrative. one thing I’ve been practicing for the better part of a year now is being the uplifter who I am in person and letting it translate onto my keyboard. if you happen to be spending more time than usual on your timeline, make it a goal to at least use that time positively. see a nice photo? say so. even if it’s someone you don’t typically speak to. your words have more power than you believe, and letting them radiate positive thinking will induce positive results elsewhere in your life.

I know that the world may be crashing down for many of us. I know. but I assure you, there’s a sliver of hope and a glimpse of silver lining for those who are willing to navigate towards it. it takes 21 days to build a habit - what better time to build good ones?

if you want to be notified the next time we gather here for another (b)lesson, don’t forget to subscribe. i’ll always be looking forward to having you back. I can’t tell you what we’ll be talking about next time you’re here, but I can assure you it’ll be a good, quick read.

we may never get 21 days again in our lifetime. be intentional.

all love - love always, E.