“Challenge and adversity are meant to help you know who you are. Storms hit your weakness, but unlock your true strength.” Roy T. Bennett
Last Saturday, a friend and I spent the morning on the phone catching up with the goings and comings of each other’s life. Although we’d run into each other at the grocery store a few times, we haven’t had the chance to get together and catch up in person because of the LOCKDOWN. As we continued to chat, we began discussing the limitations that the Coronavirus LOCKDOWN has imposed on us and the benefits of being on LOCKDOWN. Being on LOCKDOWN has certainly required some major adjustments but it hasn’t been all bad. Or has it? Are there any benefits to being on LOCKDOWN? For this week’s blog, let’s talk SHIP about the benefits of being on LOCKDOWN!!!
Honestly, had you told me in March that we’d still be on LOCKDOWN in September, I wouldn’t have believed it. Had you told me that after 8 months, we would still NOT be able to- dine inside of a restaurant, attend church service, go to concerts or sporting events, go back to work, etc.-I wouldn’t have believed you. But it is true. The Coronavirus has forever changed life as we’ve known it. It has made us adopt and adapt to new ways of living. But to me, being on LOCKDOWN hasn’t been all bad. I’m actually enjoying the benefits of being on LOCKDOWN but before reaching this point, I had to let go of some things. I had to let go of the need to always be busy. The need to always be doing something. I had to let go of the need to control every aspect of my life. Before I began to see the benefits of being on LOCKDOWN, I had to let go of the desire to have my old life back. I had to learn how to accept was it is and not dwell on what it used to be. Once I grasped that concept, the simplicity of life became apparent and I began seeing the benefits of being on LOCKDOWN.
I noticed the benefits of being on LOCKDOWN in my neighborhood. Everywhere you look during this LOCKDOWN, people seem to be reconnecting with themselves and their families. Neighbors are out gardening and watering their grass. Families are out walking their dogs while their children ride along on bikes. Some dads and moms jog throughout the neighborhood while pushing a baby stroller while others walk to stay fit. The LOCKDOWN has benefitted families by providing opportunities to reconnect and to create memories while enjoying each other’s company. Families are spending time playing board games, doing puzzles together, and getting to know each other better. Another benefit of the LOCKDOWN is being able to relax and do nothing. Taking time out for self rids our lives of stressors and promotes a healthier more stress-free lifestyle. Not having to deal with traffic during the daily commute to and from work is another absolute benefit of the LOCKDOWN. The LOCKDOWN has made it possible for us to experience things we couldn’t have if we were still in the old hustle and bustle of our pre-LOCKDOWN lives.
No one thought the LOCKDOWN would last this long but it has and there is no end in sight, so I suggest we all get comfortable with the LOCKDOWN. Instead of thinking it’s a hindrance, look at is as a do-over year. Use the LOCKDOWN.time to work on some goals that you never had the time or chance to do. Write that book. Take that class. Earn that certificate. Start that business. Lose those pounds. Pay that debt down. No matter what the goal is, the LOCKDOWN is providing the time for you to achieve it but first, you have to want to recognize the benefit of being on LOCKDOWN. For me, it wasn’t until I stopped focusing on what I was no longer able to do-hanging with friends, happy hour, clubs, traveling, or enjoying a dinner out-before I began to recognize and appreciate the benefits of being on LOCKDOWN. Once I recognized the benefits of being on LOCKDOWN, I began to do me. After work, I water the grass, and then I exercise for 40 minutes. I love my new routine. I am much more relaxed and I feel great because I’ve already lost 24 lbs. So, I am learning that focusing on my self during this LOCKDOWN really does have its benefits!!!
SHIP TALK: Have you benefited from being on LOCKDOWN? If so, how?
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It truly has been a blessing. Thanks for supporting me. Please feel free to share with your family and friends.
Lockdown has been a benefit for my family and an extra special benefit for me. My ex husband was able to purchase a new home with an excellent rate. Both my daughters we able to work from home, stop commuting and slow down that fast paced lifestyle and still grow in their chosen professions. I took this lockdown as a chance to grow in my walk with the Lord!! My faith has grown and my peace has increased abundantly. When a personal relationship ended earlier this year, I didn’t see it as another failure on my part but as another expression of God’s grace and a move in my life closer the the purpose he has for me. Without the lockdown, I would have seen it as a loss instead, I know he ran a block for me and kept me from what was certain heartbreak. So yes, I’m thankful for this new normal 😍
and Hillary it has taken some work. I think it should be more but I am going to keep going. Thanks for appreciating my random thoughts that I put in the form of a blog post. I miss seeing that bouncy walk and that beautiful cheery smile of yours walking through the halls but I am grateful I remember. Thanks again for your support.
Beautiful.. Thank you as always for sharing your wisdom.
24 pounds? You GO!
🙂