As I reflect on our two-year pandemic, I realize that managing my fear-generating mind is critical to not just surviving, but thriving.
I manage my mind by asking it to help me be of service instead of defaulting to its problem-finding ways. I ask, “What do others need in these uncertain times and how can I help?”
Since the pandemic began, I have presented 28 Well-Being trainings for law firm professionals. The first summer of the pandemic I wrote Your Fairy Job Mentor’s Secrets for Success for young professionals. Directing my brain to solve pressing problems, instead of obsessing about all the uncertainty that neither I nor anyone else has control over, felt much more productive.
You see, uncertainty triggers our fear, and then our minds find every shred of evidence to convince us that we are in danger. By proactively shifting my mind’s focus to problem-solving instead of problem creation, I have been able to be of service instead of stuck in fear. I definitely have bad days where my fear runs the show, but most days I can shut that bully off!
A silver lining from the pandemic is that I now know that to feel more in control of our lives, we must master our fear-generating minds, no matter what is happening in our external lives.