This has been a sort of weird week for me. Not exactly bad but not without its challenges. So rather than stress myself out even more I decided to simply find a quote that spoke to me with the offhand chance it might speak to some of you as well. This one reminds me that no matter what the circumstance, we always have the choice about how we will respond and where we go from there. Of course, it doesn’t mean we just roll over and acquiesce but it does mean, at least to me, that we work with what shows up rather than against it. And besides, who can’t use a little advice from Eckhart Tolle now and then?
Like most everyone I know, my husband Thom and I are focused on staying as healthy as possible these days. Nearly everything you read or hear offers suggestions about what to do to avoid the virus and stay safe. However, I don’t believe there is nearly as much focus on what we can and possibly should be doing to stay sane and psychologically healthy. That’s why when I came across the words “psychological immune system” this week, it hit me that maintaining that immunity is equally as important as our physical health. So here’s what I learned about the term as well as a few ideas that we can all use to keep our mind and spirit strong and operating optimally as we go through this experience. 
You might think it strange to be writing about luck or privilege with all the news about the Coronavirus or COVID-19 in the airways this week. But as luck would have it, I was offered a free book on the topic that had me asking myself, “Is it luck if you don’t catch an illness?” Likewise, are you unlucky if you do? Does love, wealth and happiness depend on luck? And if luck is indeed involved, is there anything we can do to increase it for ourselves? After finishing the book and listening to a couple of podcasts on the topic, I’ve come to the conclusion that yes, what we typically call luck is involved, but so is privilege. And perhaps best of all, there are steps we can take to increase our luck no matter where we find ourselves on the privilege-scale today. 
Every now and then I feel the need to pause, think about and write about why it is important for me to slow down. How about you? And now that I know from my Enneagram* test that I am a “7” it is even more vital. That’s because I have an almost compulsive need to do more, experience more, learn more, research more, have more fun, etc. You can see how critical the concept of slowing down can be for me. But I’m guessing I’m not the only one who is super busy and overwhelmed these days. So, this morning, after listening to one “more” new podcast, I heard a speaker who got me thinking about why we all seem to resist the idea of taking things slower—even when we know better. That’s when I came up with five big myths that I believe are at the root of the problem.