Like each of you, I simply don’t know what to say. Through no fault of our own, business has come to a grinding halt. While each of the orders made has been in the best interest of protecting our society, they have delivered devastating blows to the small businesses that are the backbone of our community. I am uncertain about what the future holds, and I am SCARED! Not about falling prey to COVID-19, but about our community falling victim to a serious economic downturn. As people who own, operate, and frequent these small businesses, I’m sure you are scared too.
Just like you, I lived the last ten days in a constant state of anxiety and fear. But enough is enough. It’s okay to be scared for the future, but it is not okay to allow that fear to stop us from doing what needs to be done. It all comes down to control. We cannot control how long this shut down will continue. We cannot control whether or not this will happen again in the coming months to prevent outbreak. We can’t even control whether or not we get sick (besides following health guidelines).
We CAN control our attitudes. We can choose to accept the situation for what it is and learn to work within those constraints. We can choose to be thankful that our families our healthy and that our children are safe at home. We can choose to focus on our work and being as productive as possible, even if we are working in a different environment. We can choose how hard we work to make this situation better. And, most importantly, we can choose to be good neighbors, good business partners, and good employers.
So take a moment to feel the stress. Go over each and every bad scenario in your head. Let yourself imagine the worst. And then take a breath and let it go. Remember what you can and cannot control, and allow yourself some room and grace. Be scared. And then move forward anyway.
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