After the Pandemic, then What?

“Collect as precious pearls the words of the wise and virtuous.”  —Abdelkader El Djezairi

At some point, we will arrive at a destination that we will call normal. It probably will be a combination of past and new elements.

What will this be like?  Part of this new world will include practices that we adopted in our effort to overcome challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. But, we are not limited to only the changes we felt inclined to implement for the sake of safety and security.

For many of us, this moment in history can be an opportunity to write a new script for our lives. In our reflective time during this universal health crisis, we may consider how we wish our lives were different – perhaps better.

One single practice that is molded into a daily habit can absolutely change our world. One single routine, often requiring only minutes of our time, can change your life forever. Really?  Yes, this is possible.

Within each edition of my Mondays are Great Newsletter, there are countless examples of applicable simple practices that can change lives. There is one particular practice requiring a very small investment of time, yet can have a lasting powerful effect. A couple of minutes each day using this tool of enrichment can result in an incredible return on investment.

Select one positive quote and repeat it to yourself throughout the day.

Say it out loud if possible. Reflect on how this quote can change what you do and how you do it.  Pick a new quote each day and keep repeating it to yourself throughout the day. Make this quote recitation practice a habit.

Carve your own path. You may want to repeat some quotes because they speak volumes to your soul. Perhaps a quote is personal and reminds you of someone you admire. Some quotes will challenge you to be a better person. You may want to repeat a quote for each day of an entire week. The importance is to create a process that works best for you. Your own process, one in which you are the author and creator, is likely to be one that will become a regular habit.

Discover a few quotes that emphasize the way you are trying to live your life.  Find quotes that represent the way you think. You will want to revisit these quotes often. You will want to write them down and post them in places in your home so that you can be reminded often.

Personally, I study and use quotes all the time. You will find them in my weekly newsletters and in all of my writings. Yes, I have favorite quotes and have memorized many.  Each quote constantly reminds me of how I want to live my life. I use the citations I have memorized often in daily communication—especially with my eight grandchildren.

What are my favorite quotes? That is an easy question to answer. You will find them in all of my newsletter editions.  You will find some that are repeated. They represent what has had a big impact on me.  Here are just a few that I repeat often in my daily life. These gems of wisdom and inspiration powerfully influence me to be the best that I can be:

• “Perfect love casts out all fear.” 1 John 4:18
• “Never, never, never give up.” Sir Winston Churchill
• “A three-ply cord cannot be easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
• “Find the joy in your life.” From the movie The Bucket List
• “Success is a journey, not a destination.” Arthur Ashe
• “Do the right thing, do the best you can and always show people you care.” Lou Holtz
• “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” Nelson Mandella

And if you are seeking an even more powerful practice, create your own quotes. Here are a few of mine:

• Your stories are the gold in the goldmine of your life.
• Leadership is influencing another to do what really matters.
• Success is being and becoming the best at what I am meant to be and do in life.

Can quotes make that much difference? Here is what others had to say about the power of quotes:

 “Proverbs are potted wisdom.” Charles Buxton

“Maybe our favorite quotations say more about us than about the stories and people we’re quoting.” John Green

“The profoundest thought or passion sleeps as in a mine, until an equal mine and heart finds and publishes it.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today, the quote I will repeat often is …