Making a Positive Out of A Pandemic
2020/2021 will be remembered for many things, but we can choose our perspective. I decided early on to make the best of this unprecedented time. My goal was to stay positive and come out of this pandemic with an opportunity for personal growth. I had no idea how or what I was going to do but I was going to try to make the best of a challenging time.
When the pandemic began I made a few goals to keep me busy until things were back to normal. I am still waiting for the normal part to resume. One of my goals was to read fifty books which I did in record time. At last count I have read over sixty-five books and I am not finished yet. Then I came up with the lofty goal of cleaning clean all the closets in our home. That goal has not yet been realized but I remain optimistic that it may happen…in the next five years.
I was getting tired of reading and watching Netflix so the quiet time led me to delve a little deeper into self-reflection. I had the time to slow down and truly reflect on what I wanted to do. Perhaps I could even adjust my course to become who I have always wanted to be? Or find a passion that makes me smile and puts a skip to my step?
I will be honest, not all my reflections were deep or life altering. One of the decisions I made was that I don’t care for kale and I will not eat it unless it is hidden in a smoothie with lots of fruit. I also rediscovered my love for cooking and pairing with local wines, making Friday night dinners at home at hit!
Pursue What Catches Your Heart, Not Your Eye
I was excited to embrace change, perhaps with something completely outside of my comfort zone and to have some fun. One of the boxes I wanted to check was to do something that could make a difference for those I care about. I have a Some Day list – things that I think would be great, but I never found the time to do. One of the things on my list was obtaining my Life Coaching Certification.
Life Coaching is a way to embrace your greatness and get it out there into your life. It allows us to be our best selves by looking within to determine what is holding us back. Is it finding the time? Fear of change? Or simply not knowing where to start? I loved the idea of being able to move forward with excitement and optimism and not looking back. Positive energy is where I wanted to go. Pandemic or not it was time to make the move and run with it.
I will admit that the thought of doing something so completely different was intimidating. My career has been in Insurance as a Claims Adjuster with Nova Mutual and prior to that I worked as a Law Clerk/Title Searcher within the energy sector. Was this a change I could make? Does it fit with my current career? Absolutely, it does! That was when I had my “Hell YES” moment. I was determined to do this without reservation and love every moment. I was so excited!
Thinking Outside the Box
Thankfully for me, Nova likes thinking outside of the box (I don’t think they have actually ever been in the box). They encourage their Team Members to embrace life and all it has to offer. Our ability to work Wherever, Whenever, Whatever allowed me the flexibility to follow my new adventure. The support that I received from my Team Members has been truly inspiring. If there is one thing I can honestly say, it is that building on the wave of positivity around you and in your workplace makes everyday a pleasure.
Nova’s culture is all about developing opportunities for the company and for their Team Members. We are encouraged to live authentically and ‘be U every day’. Nova’s Culture by Design always encourages us to enjoy all that life has to offer both, personally and professionally and I knew that I was heading in the right direction.
A Little Woo Woo In the Mix
So, what does a Reiki Master, Certified Light Worker and soon to be designated Life Coach have to offer? A smile, a positive outlook and incredible energy and a little woo woo to add in the mix. The joy of Life Coaching for me is to be there for my friends and family. To assist them to find the answers that are already within them and to find the joy in every day. I do not have a magic wand, I still have my off days. However, I have learned a lot about resilience, faith, the strength of a positive mindset and embracing change. To me, that is better than a magic wand any day.
I encourage you to make time for yourself. It can be as simple as looking for the happy moments every day, meditating, nature walks or just being with those you love. I hope that you find something to balance the challenges we have faced through Covid with something that brings a smile to your face, fills your heart with joy and adds a skip in your step.
Be safe, my friends.
Written by Donna Gibbs-White, Claims Adjuster
