Comparing Life Today with Life Four Weeks Ago, Two Stories of Survival, Reclaiming Four Hours a Day

"And once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about."

— Haruki Murakami

Monday morning, here we go again. This will be a sad week for our country; we all know this to be true. Please try and keep it together as we watch society fray, tis the season of reformation. I thought I might try and compare my life before and after this crisis. Maybe you can understand the changes; I'm sure you too have a story, this is mine.

Before I ever heard the term self-isolation, my day would be as follows. I would get up at 5:00 a.m., I would pen my thoughts, as I'm doing this moment, it takes about an hour a day to cook my soup, it must be written, edited, formatted, shared, it is a labor of love. I would then review and clean up my email inbox. This, too, would take an hour. After that, I would shower, then hit the road. I typically had a 10:00 a.m. appointment. It was not unusual to drive 30 to 60 minutes or more to my meeting. I would then drive another 30 minutes for my 11:30 lunch. Another 30-minute drive to my 1:00 p.m. Another 45-minute drive to my 3:00 p.m. then drive to meet someone for cocktails, which I would try and stack close to my last appointment. My journey to cocktails was usually 15 minutes. But then, I would head home, another 45-minute drive.

Looking back, I never really accounted for that 3 hour drive time.  I should point out, that was my Denver schedule, my Indiana schedule usually had four or more hours of drive time. Think about that, 3 to 4 hours a day. I was in the car, listening to podcasts, filling the air with my emissions.  Looking back, it was a little silly, but it was what we did.

Post-crisis, I now get up at 6:00 a.m. I pen my thoughts, then clean up email, then shower, then make myself breakfast. I take the time to enjoy it. I sip my coffee and make time to go outside and talk to the family of deer that always seem to be waiting for a conversation. I chat with the squirrels, the chipmunks, and the occasional fox.  I have found if you are kind in your tone, they respond with interest.

I usually have my first meeting at 9:00 or 10:00; it's a virtual call; most of my calls take 20 to 30 minutes. They are with clients, vendors, strangers; I'm talking to a lot of strangers these days, more than ever before. About noon, I break and go hiking with my Queen, we do a 2-mile hike at 8232 feet, it's not easy, we push ourselves, it's good for our lungs, legs, and attitude. We return to get a quick bite, and then I'm back running virtual meetings. Since I no longer drive three to four hours a day, I seem to have more time than ever to focus on my work with my clients and team, that has been an unexpected benefit.  At 5:00, we all check out, my crew of five meets at the kitchen table, we play cards as one of us cooks, usually my Queen. We eat, catch a movie, and try to hit the bed by 9:00 or 10:00; we are still getting our 8 hours of sleep, an essential part of our health regiment.

I'm wondering how your life has changed. I am sure you have modified your work, your life, what changes have you made? What are some benefits you have found during this time of self-isolation? What changes will you be making moving forward knowing the lessons you were taught during this time of reset?

I do have some fantastic news to share, my friend Tom, the one that was on a ventilator unconscious for 14 days, he's back, awake, responding, and will seemingly make a full recovery. Thank you for your prayers, and thank you, Mark McKinney, for keeping me in the loop.  Another one of our friends, a uniquely beautiful soul known as Lyn Nicks, had a similar experience.  She was born the same day and year as my Queen, we have a bond with Lyn, we reached out to give her some birthday love, and she shared her story.

She's home after two weeks in the hospital, she is still on oxygen, but is expected to make a full recovery. She is going to use her blood and plasma to help others avoid the pain she endured, she is a saint, as people begin to recover, their blood might be the antidote we need. I'm going to interview Lyn this week; we can hear firsthand her journey and what it is like to survive the pandemic.

The first episode of the ART Experience drops today, I've got a few in the can, I'll release one a day, I'll share on all social media platforms, it's good to hear the lessons business leaders are learning through these times, tune in if you have an extra 15 minutes.

Well, it's time for me to go, thank you for checking in, thank you for enjoying my soup, these days it's one thing that I can connect back to the old ways of life, and for that I am thankful. Keep your head up, enjoy this time, stay safe, self-isolate, and listen to those that seemingly know what is best. Wear your masks, gloves, and limit your time with folks outside of your home, the curve is beginning to flatten; we will get through this together, apart.

"And once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about."

— Haruki Murakami