Yes, I know--it’s part of the self-help canon to say “Take charge of your life!” But of course--because this is the Your Courageous Life podcast--we’re meaning something more nuanced. You can’t control pandemics, death, taxes, suffering, so I’m not going to talk to you about just switching your mindset, and that’s it. At the same time? Yes, take charge of your life wherever and whenever you possibly can.

We don’t do personal growth work for times when life is just peachy--yes, we love the daily benefits, but really, we’re doing personal growth work for times like these. This is what we train for. We’re training to boost our emotional resilience so that when life hands us challenges, we can face them. Will we be afraid? Yes. Will we choose courage? Absolutely.

Okay, things are changing--the world as we know it has definitely changed for the foreseeable future--so you need to know how to pivot. You’ll be making multiple pivots in the coming months, changing as circumstances change, adjusting, noticing how you feel and honoring that, making tough choices. So amid those tough choices, knowing how to pivot as needed (rather than getting stuck) is crucial.

As we go out into the world and encounter other people, it’s helpful to remember to watch what you make it mean (meaning: be aware that you are the one applying the interpretation). As we navigate challenges and difficulties, we can’t be in control of what’s happening “out there,” but we have absolute autonomy over our intentions, where we place our attention, and whether we react vs respond. This is a profound moment to “choose who you want to be.” So, who do you want to be? And how can this moment, right now, be your training ground?