It seems that unless you are living in a cave, you, like me are being inundated with talk, texts, or posts about COVID-19.  My social media world is comprised of parents, teachers, pastors, and young adults trying to come to grips with making decisions in the light of constantly changing information and directives.

If we are not careful, our curiosity, boredom, or just need to be “in the know” will reap a harvest of fear, uncertainty, and paranoia.  For some of my readers, you may already be there! 

This is no time to fear!  Throughout history, when times of stress, trauma, war, and upheaval have come, it’s then that heroes emerge, leaders arise, and problem-solvers create!  Instead of seeing COVID-19 as a curse, it’s time to view it as in impetus! When we look back on this time in history, what will you and I have done to make our world a better place? When we reflect on these world events, will we be able to see beauty arise from the ashes? If we want to be part of the beauty, we will need to conquer the fear!

Overcoming Fear

So, how do we tackle the fear?  It’s all about our Mindset!  Circumstances can help assuage our fear, but they will not alleviate it long-term.  Sure, several rolls of toilet paper can help you breathe a sigh of relief, but that relief only lasts as long as the loaf of bread, or the jar of peanut butter, or the money in the bank.  There will always be a circumstance that can rear its head and thrust us right back into fear. Only managing our mindset will enable us to maintain peace regardless of our circumstances.

Mindset Management 101

• Be thankful! When your heart and mouth are filled with thankfulness, it becomes hard to complain! Start each day by listing 10 things you are thankful for… clean water, eyes that see, food in the cupboard, fresh air… you get the idea!  Model thankfulness for those around you.  They will catch on. 🙂 When you are thankful, your mindset shifts from complaining to celebrating!¹
• Be busy! Jammies are cozy, the couch is comfortable, relaxing is important! But set boundaries for yourself (and your kiddos!). Get dressed, go for a walk, clean out a cupboard, play a game, learn a language, create, build, read! When you are engaged in life, your mindset shifts from problems to productivity!²
• Be purposeful! Do you remember that old saying: garbage in=garbage out? It still holds true today.  What you allow into your eyes, ears, and heart will determine what your mind focuses on.  Shut off the 24 hour news loop! Stop reading all those fear-inspiring articles on the internet.  Change a complaining conversation into a constructive one.  When you are purposeful about guarding your home and head, your mindset shifts from cluttered to centered!³
• Be kind! This should go without saying, but when the world goes topsy-turvy, sometimes our priorities get scrambled and we forget that we are not the center of the universe! Everyone has trials they are navigating; avoid judging journeys that are different than your own.  Smile more, criticize less. Post an encouraging word. Make a “just because” phone call.  Share a square. 🙂 When you are kind, your mindset shifts from self-centered to other-centered!⁴
• Be positive! This is a big one, so bear with me! I know that we all have different personalities.  Some of us tend to look at life with rose-colored glasses, while others of us can’t seem to get the dark shades off.  But YOU are in control of YOU!  You can choose to swing your tendency from negative vibes to positive ones.  This will probably be very challenging for those who are chronically negative. Determining to find and focus on the positive may require you to enlist some help.  Ask a family member or friend to help you identify negative ideas and phrases as they come out of your mouth.  Then consciously rephrase your thought to reflect a positive idea.  When you’re tempted to point out the faults in others, pause and look for good instead.  As you grow in this process, you will feel like the sun shines a little bit brighter, people seem somewhat kinder, and the sky really isn’t falling!  Build your positive focus by listening to uplifting music, reading biographies of social heroes (biography.com) and practicing looking for the good around you. When you focus on the positive, your mindset shifts from barrenness to beauty.⁵
• Be faith-filled! Being positive is big, but finding faith is foundational! There are not many things in this world worth trusting. People fail, systems fail, finances fail, marriages fail, contracts fail, doctors fail. But my God has never failed me!  There were times when I felt lost or forgotten; but He has never left me.  It has taken me much of my adult life to grasp how deeply and unconditionally my Heavenly Father loves me! I trust in that love.  It’s my faith in His love that enables me to punch fear in its face! If you are struggling to find faith in this season, you’re not alone!  And I happen to know that God loves you deeply and unconditionally. Ask Him to show Himself to you, He will show up for you right where you are! When you begin to grasp how deeply the God of Heaven and earth loves you, your mindset will shift from fear to faith!⁶

No matter where you find yourself on the fear to faith spectrum, you are never stuck there unless you choose to be! Circumstances may appear to be out of control, but you are not without power! Proactively manage your mindset and find peace… then share it with those around you!

Live loved!

¹I Thessalonians 5:18

²Luke 16:10

³Isaiah 26:3

⁴Romans 12:10

⁵Philippians 4:8

⁶Psalm 36:5-7, Ephesians 2:4