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You are Stronger Than You Think: Emotional Strength During a Pandemic

April 2, 2020 By Stephanie Leave a Comment

2 Apr

I went to Sam’s Club yesterday. It was the first time I’ve been outside of my neighborhood in two weeks because of this pandemic. I was excited to be able to get out and see something, even though it’s only 5 minutes from my house. But I was also nervous to be out with others because there were still a lot of people out and about.

As I got out of my car and started walking to the entrance, I could see people with masks and gloves on. There was a worker standing at the carts, spraying and wiping each one down before letting a shopper touch it. These are crazy times we’re living in.

As I walked through the store, there were reminders everywhere I looked of what was going on with this COVID-19 pandemic. Not only are the toilet paper shelves still bare but plenty of other aisles are as well. There’s hardly any laundry detergent. I haven’t been able to buy ground beef for weeks. And, most of the aisles have minimal options to choose from.

It’s scary really—to think we’re living through a worldwide pandemic. There’s no way we can comprehend what’s still to come both with the pandemic and the economical situation that will follow. I started to get overwhelmed as I pushed my cart up and down the aisles, trying to stay 6 feet away from everyone else.

We moved to Florida 7 months ago.

It’s been rough. We’ve struggled to connect with anyone. For months and months we found comfort in heading to Disney Springs (Disney is one of our favorite places) or watching the sunset on the beach. I work from home. My girls are homeschooled. We didn’t make quick connections.

It was really hard. I’ve struggled with mild bouts of depression since after the holidays. But, we had a few things we enjoyed. Things we found comfort in and that distracted us from the loneliness.

Then, things started to look more positive. We found a homeschool group that had tons of activities. In January, the girls started art class, guitar lessons, and gymnastics. We finally found a church that we wanted to attend.

I thought things were finally going to turn around for the better. And, then the world shut down. Literally. Disney closed. The beaches closed. The kids activities closed. Church closed.

And, here we are. Back where we started.

But then it hit me—we’re so much stronger than we think.

All of us—you included.

Pushing that grocery cart up and down the aisles yesterday was overwhelming. I felt so many emotions. Sadness. Anger. Disbelief.

We could have never imagined living through a time so unpredictable as this. But, we are.

See, when it comes down to it, we will get through this because we don’t have a choice. That’s how life goes.

We can say things like, “I’d never be able to ________.” But if you’re faced with that situation and your only choice is to get through it, you do.

We learn to adjust. We figure out how to video chat with friends or hold virutal meetings with coworkers. We learn to homeschool our kids because the schools are shut down. And, we start to cook dinner and eat together every night because there’s no other option.

We see what true courage looks like and realize that “heroes” aren’t sports figures or famous people. They’re the doctors, nurses, soldiers and first responders. We see that sports figures, actors, singers, and those with loads of money are in much the same position as we are because they can’t buy their way out of it.

And we relearn the importance of the people filling positions we often overlooked like warehouse workers, cashiers, and truck drivers.

We learn to place value on people instead of position and ranking.

When the pandemic strips it all away, we find what really matters. And, it’s not in Disney, shopping, sports, grades, or finances. It’s the people that matter. And, it’s faith that gets us through.

And that’s why you’re stronger than you think

You’re still here. Your value isn’t in your bank account, your job, your kids popularity at school, or any of the other silly things that we’ve focused on for far too long.

And, we don’t need all of the comforts and habits of life to live.

If you change your mindset and what you focus on throughout this whole pandemic, you can find your strength. It comes from within and it’s something that can’t be taken from you.

The history lessons the girls have been following this year are just starting to take us into the Great Depression. The economic climate was far worse than it is right now. I’m not saying or promising that we won’t reach that level, but even if we do, we’ll make it.

People living through the Great Depression survived, not because it was easy, but because they had no choice. People have survived hiding out during WWII, other pandemics, and different difficult situations. It’s not that anyone would choose to go through those situations, just like we wouldn’t choose to go through this. But, when you’re put in the place that it’s not a choice, the only choice you’re left with is to give up or toughen up.

Life’s not going to be as easy for awhile, as it was a few months ago. There are so many unknowns, but what I do know, is we’re here. We can and will get through this. We’re stronger than we used to believe. We’re already starting to see it and will continue to.

Change your focus

If you’re struggling to see this, look around at your circumstances. Look for the positive things that you can find right now. What do you have that you’re grateful for? What news stories can you find of people rising to the challenge of this time and helping others? Where are the good stories? They’re out there if you look for them.

Don’t focus on the bare shelves at the store. Focus on the people working hard to make the products, drive them to the store and stock them on the shelves. Don’t focus on the death counts. Foucs on the number of people recovering and the healthcare staff that’s working hard to make that happen. Don’t focus on what you don’t like about the government right now. Focus on the fact that they’re doing the best they know how to try to protect the people. Don’t focus on how hard it is to stay at home all day. Focus on being thankful for those first repsonders that are continuing to go out each day to protect and serve you.

There’s no denying that we’ve lost a lot in the past month. But, you’re still here. You’re making the adjustments that you need to. It might not feel good, but with each one, you have the opportunity to learn that you’re stronger than you think.  And, if you’re still not feeling it, send me a message. No one needs to feel alone right now just becuase we can’t be together.

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Stuck in Your Rut - Stephanie


Have you ever thought about how a click of a camer
Have you ever thought about how a click of a camera button has the ability to capture a moment in time? Pretty amazing!

We always make a point to take pictures of the big moments or the things we do when we travel, like our day trip to Nashville yesterday.

But there are so many day-to-day moments that make my heart happy too, like seeing my daughters cooking dinner (which they choose to do a lot - blessed mom right here!) or when my husband is helping the girls build garden planters for our veggies. I need to make an effort to take pictures of these moments more so I can be reminded of these simple joys. The days seem long but the years are going fast!

What is something you see in day-to-day life that brings you joy?

How do you talk about and think about yourself?

Y
How do you talk about and think about yourself?

Yesterday I had the pleasure of chatting with several different women. I'm getting ready to write website profiles for them and wanted to learn more about them.

I noticed something that got me thinking during one of the calls. 

I asked the question "Who do you enjoy working with?"

The woman gave me a long list of the people she didn't feel qualified to help. She shared her heart for people but would then explain the areas she felt she was lacking. 

I'm sure she didn't realize she was doing this. I know I struggle with doing the same thing. It's so easy to spot in other people what we miss in ourselves. 

So, how do you think and talk about yourself? Do you focus on where you are lacking and where you don't feel "good enough" or qualified? Or, do you acknowledge your skills and strengths? 

We all have areas we can grow and improve but we are unproductive when those are the main areas we focus on.

#focusonyourstrengths #thoughtlife #positivethinking #buildconfidence


I was reading the book Friendship - It's Complicat
I was reading the book Friendship - It's Complicated by @andiandrew this morning and came across the saying "healed people heal people." It really struck me.

I've heard many times the old saying "hurting people hurt people" but this simple switch made it so different. 

It made me really reflect on my actions, words, and behaviors to see if I was helping or hurting others. It made me think about what areas of my life I needed to walk in healing so I could help bring others along.

I also love the way this shifted from the negative to the positive. "Hurting people hurt people" can be used as an excuse if you've experienced pain in your life. "Healed people heal people" is so much more of a calling to rise up out of painful situations to make a positive difference. It gives your hurtful experiences and pain a new purpose. 

Just something to think about.

#encouragement #movepastyourpast #womensupportingwomen

Let's talk about meerkats for a minute—stick wit
Let's talk about meerkats for a minute—stick with me here.  
 
On Thursday, I took my kids to the zoo for a few hours. We've had an exhausting couple of weeks. Things haven't gone as planned. Work has been hectic and I've been working long hours. We're in the middle of trying to make some big life decisions again (which seems to be the constant state of life).  
 
Can you relate?  
 
The zoo is one of our happy places, so we picked the warmest day of the week and took some time off to get outside and enjoy ourselves.  
 
Some of my favorite animals to watch at the zoo are the meerkats. 
 
If you ever watch a gang of meerkats, you'll probably notice that there is almost always one meerkat that is standing up checking the skies and looking around while the others are off doing their thing. Why? 
 
That meerkat is watching for danger. They are checking the skies and surrounding areas for predators. They remain alert in order to allow the others to find food and do what they need to do. 
 
On this trip, I could relate to that poor little meerkat standing up, not enjoying herself in order to try to protect her family—not realizing they are safe from predators. As a wife and mom, I think that instinct comes pretty naturally to us women. I've been so caught up lately in trying to figure out how to balance what the different members of my family need that it's been harder to enjoy the good things in each day.  
 
But I'm not a meerkat. There really aren't predators circling around me, trying to get my family. Yes, there are dangers in this world, but when that's all I focus on, that's all I see. I miss all of the good things that are taking place and the positive moments I could be enjoying. 
 
So, if you can relate to that little meerkat too, here's your reminder to take a break. Be present in the moment.

There are hard parenting days - which we've had qu
There are hard parenting days - which we've had quite a bit of lately - and then there are the days when your kid surprises you with a homemade card. 

The world is full of scary, hard things right now and it's easy when you focus on those things to forget all the good that is right around you.

Sometimes we feel stuck in life because of things
Sometimes we feel stuck in life because of things that are within our control.

You can't control what others do to you... but you can control what you choose to do after that. If you're holding onto unforgiveness towards someone, it's going to seep into all areas of your life.

Being easily offended and staying offended and angry gives things outside of your control power over you, your day, and your attitude.

If you're tired of not making progress in life and often feel angry, I encourage you to look inward. Sometimes I'm caught off guard by the things I thought I had dealt with and moved on from that I didn't.

#movingforward #dontbeeasilyoffended #inspiration #armorofgodstudy

There are few things I find as beautiful in nature
There are few things I find as beautiful in nature as a tree with fall colors on a bright sunny day. ❤️🍁

#fallcolors🍁🍂 #louisvillezoo

It can be so hard to ask for things that we want.
It can be so hard to ask for things that we want. The fear of the "what ifs" always want to get in the way. But what if we change our thoughts and expect the best instead of assuming the worst?

My dad has been an incredible example of just asking. He doesn't overthink asking questions to people and because of it, he learns all kinds of cool things. He doesn't worry about if the person says "no" or responds negatively. He doesn't let fear stop him. 

Over the years, my husband and I have learned to ask for things we want. We asked for work from a church without knowing if they would be interested. We asked to barter handyman services and home repair in exchange for lower rent. 

We've asked for some weird things that don't seem like they should have worked out, but they did. And we would have never had those opportunities if we hadn't been willing to ask for them.

Are there questions you've been avoiding asking out of fear?

This.

It's so easy to avoid growth and change bec
This.

It's so easy to avoid growth and change because it's uncomfortable and painful. But so many times the life we want is on the other side.

#motivation #thursdaythoughts #growthmindset #growingpains #pushpastthehardthings


What if you don't wait to get started until everyt
What if you don't wait to get started until everything is perfect? What would that look like? 
 
I'm giving you a sneak peek into what my incredible workspace looks like today 😜 
 
Today I have a few calls so I'm working with my messy bed as my desk so I can have a quiet space. Sometimes I work from my kitchen counter. My family of 5 lives in a small rental house right now. I don't have any space for an office, but I'm running a growing business by working like this. 
 
If I had waited to get started until I "knew everything" or had the perfect setup, I would have wasted the last 5 years. If I had waited until I "knew just a little more" or felt a "little more ready", I still wouldn't be doing anything. Even after 5 years, I still have LOTS to learn but I'm so much further along because I took the step of getting started.
 
It sucks to hear, but you have to get started before you're "ready". That's just the way it works. Don't let your circumstances get in your way. And - this might sound tough but - stop making excuses. Look for a way to make it work as best you can right now. 
 
 
 
#getstarted #femaleentrepreneur #makeitwork #midweekmotivation #takeachance #mompreneur #homeschoolingentrepreneur #overcomefear #buildyourconfidence

This quote rings so true to me. A little over 4 ye
This quote rings so true to me. A little over 4 years ago, I had such little confidence. I let fear control so much of what I did.

I was working to grow my freelance business and almost skipped an opportunity to take on work because the potential client wanted to schedule a phone call instead of just working through emails and messages. I broke out in hives just having to talk on the phone.

I couldn't handle ordering a pizza because I was too nervous about not knowing what to say. I overthought everything.

Fear controlled what I did and didn't do. It caused me to struggle in my thoughts and postponed my ability to go after the things I really wanted to accomplish.

Learning to overcome my fears took a lot of time. But slowly, I started to make progress. They were little changes at a time. I didn't even notice the growth as it happened. 

But then one day, that same client pointed out to me how much more confidence I had. And then another client mentioned how much I had grown in my confidence and ability to share my thoughts and opinions.

It ended up impacting every area of my life. 

But don't get me wrong, some days are still a struggle. Sometimes I still get hives when I have to talk on the phone or do a zoom call with someone I don't know, but not every time.

If you struggle with fear and confidence, know that you can improve and grow in this area. It doesn't have to be how you remain for the rest of your life. And so much of what you want is on the other side of pushing past that fear.

#overcomefear #buildconfidence #personalgrowth #growthmindset #motivationalquotes

Isn't it so easy to be happy and positive when you
Isn't it so easy to be happy and positive when you're on vacation? This picture is from over the summer when we did a mini vacation. It's easy when you get out of the routines of everyday life to start to think outside of the box and see new opportunities. 
 
But then we get back home. Clients need my attention. The house needs to be cleaned and dinner needs to be cooked. The kids have activities. And before I know it, I've fallen right back into going through the motions instead of really living each day. 
 
Here's your reminder for the day. I know it's Monday and it's easy to drag through the day. But choose to get outside of your comfort zone. Choose to look at things in a new way. Choose to start building the life you want to live, even if it's one tiny decision at a time. 
 
#mondaymotivation

Don't wait for the fear to go away. It's not going
Don't wait for the fear to go away. It's not going to. Choose courage and push past it and just watch as your confidence starts to build.

This is a constant area of struggle for me. I've a
This is a constant area of struggle for me. I've always struggled with being an "all or nothing" kind of person. I'll go all-in on getting my life in order to work on all the areas at once. I overwhelm myself with too much and before I know it, all the wonderful things I decided to do fall by the wayside. Anyone else?

My eyes were opened to this when I was working with a coach, Suzy Wraines, last year. Since then, I've been a lot better at picking one thing to work on and focusing on it until it became part of my routine. Then I add in a little more. 

Am I always awesome at it? Nope. But I've made a lot more progress in my personal life and business by focusing on one thing at a time. 

What's the one thing you can start to focus on today? And what can you let go of for a time while you focus on something else? 

#itsnotallornothing #onethingatatime #youcandoit #motivationforwomen

Sometimes I fall into the trap of waiting for fear
Sometimes I fall into the trap of waiting for fear to go away before I do the things I want to do but am scared to. But it never happens.

Every time I do something big and exciting, or take a step in obedience, there is fear. And it doesn't go away, you just have to learn to push through. Sometimes it means taking a small step and sometimes it means taking a big step. But either way, it REQUIRES taking a step. 

What is fear stopping you from taking action on? 

#overcomefear #doingbigthings #youcandoit #onestepatatime

Every good experience and time of growth in my lif
Every good experience and time of growth in my life has come by forcing myself to face fear. It doesn't feel good in the moment. In fact, it feels really horrible sometimes. But if we let our feelings control our decisions, we'll never reach the true potential that we have. And we'll always be left wondering "What if I had...". 

#faceyourfears #inspirationalquote  #christianwomen #getreadytogrow

Easier said than done. The more I talk with women,
Easier said than done. The more I talk with women, the more I hear the stories of hidden dreams and ideas that are not being worked on. There are all this hidden potential within these women and they long to go after that thing that they really want to do, but they don't. They let the fear, the doubt, the feeling "not good enough" get in the way and hold them back.

Why not pursue the thing you want to do? Why not you? Why should it always be someone else that's going after what you want to do. Why can't today be the day that you decide to take that first step forward? 

You can do it. 

#motivationforwomen #inspirationalquote

When I was growing up there were these books that
When I was growing up there were these books that I loved—Choose Your Own Adventure. The book would start telling a story where you were the main character. Throughout the book, you would be faced with decisions on what the character was going to do. 

You would turn to a certain page number based on your decision and then continue reading. It was like you were making the story happen as it went, even though the author actually had it all pre-mapped out for you.

I believe that's how life is supposed to be. It's an adventure with many winding paths and choices along the way. If you're bored with your life, if you feel that there is more that you're capable of than what you're doing, if you feel you settled somewhere along the way—you're not truly living that adventure. 

I share more about this on the blog today, but here's a story for you to write....

"One day I read a blog post and it really got me thinking. There was an idea that has always nagged at me. An idea that I should do this certain thing. Try this certain thing. A feeling within me that there was more to life than just going through the motions. I wanted to believe that it was possible for things to be different but I had a choice to make. "

• Keep life the same as always - (Continue doing what you've always done)
• Head out on an adventure - (Take that one small step today that's going to get you started.) 

Now you've got to ask yourself: What page are you going to turn to?

I'm a huge sucker for the sky. I love beautiful su
I'm a huge sucker for the sky. I love beautiful sunrises and sunsets. I love big white puffy clouds. I love the stars that pop out one by one at night and then just fill the entire dark canvas. 
 
I think it's that it reminds me of how small I am and how big God is. It's SO, SO easy for me to get caught up in the busyness or troubles of my daily life. I've been realizing more and more lately how much I focus on myself without really realizing it. And when I remember to shift my perspective back on God, it really opens my eyes up to all that is happening that is bigger than me and bigger than what's going on around me. 
 
The events of the past year have been a rollercoaster. And I listen to some of the people in my life who are so consumed by it all. The politics. The virus. The division. Sometimes I want to get all caught up in it too. 
 
But lately, my focus has shifted. God is so much bigger than the events of our day, our year, our lifetime. History has been filled with so many traumatic events. And unfortunately, we know the future will be as well. But as a Christian, I know that this is not what it's all about. There is something greater yet to come. And no matter how bad things get, God still wins in the end. 
 
I'm not sure how people get through difficult times if they don't know Jesus. I've seen the difference in my life from when I make God my focus vs focusing on the issues around me. The difference is astounding. 
 
If you're struggling today with all that's happening around you, or has in the past, I encourage you to shift your eyes toward Jesus. Look up at the heavens and know there is a God so much bigger than all of your challenges that loves you regardless of anything that you've done for Him. 
 
#godisgood #anxietyrelief #findingjoy #findingpeace #floridasunset

This past week I got back to having a morning rout
This past week I got back to having a morning routine. I woke up at 5:30 each day and I restructured how I spent the first 90 minutes of my day. 
 
I got into reading the Bible and praying. I exercised and drank water, and spent 30 minutes on doing something for my blog. 
 
It has been amazing. 
 
The stories of the Bible have come alive as I read them. I've felt better knowing I'm taking the step  to get in better shape. And I've wanted to spend time on my blog for so long but haven't made the time. 
 
My business as a content writer for mental health professionals, helping professionals and coaches has been slammed lately. It's a great blessing but it also makes time management crucial. 
 
To be honest, I've been burnt out and overwhelmed. My goal for this year was to focus on being intentional but I was failing at doing it. The changes I made this week are helping me get back to where I need to be. 
 
Self-care is so important. I write about it all the time for my clients. But here's the thing - it only helps if you do it. Knowing something and doing something are two different things. 
 
What are you doing for self-care right now? 
 
#selfcare #femaleentrepreneur #christianwomen #morningroutine #burnout #overwhelmed #intentionalliving


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