This quote is attributed to Will Smith, the full quote reads “Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity. Do not misunderstand me, danger is very real, but fear is a choice.”
I found this to be an appropriate selection for today’s quote, given the rampant coronavirus fears. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried. I’m trying to stay up to date on the latest developments without going down the rabbit hole of information overload to the point where I “coronafreak myself out.” (A term I coined to describe the feeling I get after reading one too many articles about the topic!) I’m also trying to remember that worry is a completely useless activity.
In order to maintain my sanity, I try to not spend too much time following the news about the virus each day. And I find that re-reading David Michie’s article “What is the mindful response to the coronavirus” helps me ground and calm myself when I find myself getting anxious.
How are you coping with the constant onslaught of news about the virus?
Danger lurks both in the light and the dark trying to capture our bodies, minds, hearts and spirits,
however, our defense is to walk in the light and have no fear. Fear is a four letter word that sounds
frightening, but we must conquer all fears if we want to prevail in the beautiful world we live in.
Oops- comment didn’t post- I wanted to say (as a former ER nurse) that you’re taking a wise and clear-headed approach to this! I wish everyone would! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I’ve been staying on top of the news too, but trying to not let it freak me out too much. Yesterday my husband and I went out for lunch to our favorite BBQ place and usually on a Saturday it is crowded there (they have free beer on Saturdays). There was only one other customer eating there and everyone else was getting their food to take back home. The only thing we could think was people were afraid to get around too many people.
I noticed the same thing when a friend and I went out to dinner yesterday. The restaurant we went to is usually very busy, but there were plenty of empty tables.