Put your hand on your chest close to your heart AND feel…. hear …. your heart beat.

Think. Meditate. Give thanks you are alive.

Isolation equals anxiety due to cabin fever which is the new norm.

Sad because of COVID-19, and God bless all those who passed, God bless those who contracted it and God bless those who recovered from it.

Human beings were not meant to live in these conditions. We all were meant to be free to roam. Now that you cannot do that, and have some time in your hands, you can reflect, dream, and even consider changing habits you have created through your years of living.

The saddest part of all this is THAT no matter what the future holds, it will never go back to normal. Normal is what got us here. Instead of old school, X, Y generations and new millennials, everyone is starting over. I think and wonder about these experiences I have had growing up. Honestly, I feel lucky to have played tag, kick the can, hide, and go seek, catch, and kiss. Things like getting my ass whooped by my mom’s because I cut school, now you probably cannot cut school (thanks to zoom). No hooky parties, no smoking weed or cigarettes, no drinking. JUST the good ol’ times at least for me.

Now that we are reflecting, it would be a good time to show a little more appreciation to others. Colleagues, family, friends, nature, maybe even rekindling old relationships, old friendships and making amends. Take up and learn something new. Write a book, learn to speak a new language, numerology, astronomy, find your purpose in life. Restart your diet, fast, reset yourself as a whole.

I relate to this more than most because of some advice I took early in my life’s trials and tribulations. Alex, a brother to me, told me “look, every day you must work on you, mind, body and soul”.

Exercise the body…. make it strong…. pull ups, push-ups, dips, squats. Be responsible with your eating habits. Clean it up! Same with the mind, exercise it by learning something new like a new language, write with the opposite hand etc. Learning will keep you young and curious. The spirit is the most important muscle. Without it you are lost. It needs the most work. Faith, thinking positive every day without a flaw or negative thought.

As Human beings, we all live with regret, mental anguish, endless thoughts of “should have, could have, would have”. Free yourself from all that. Tell your loved ones that not only would you die for them, but that you will live for them. Hug them tighter, spend time together. Eat, laugh, connect the disconnect, turn off phones, TV, computers. Go back to the basic family
meals, conversations, debate.

Do not argue! You’re in isolation remember? Make endless love to your partner, open your mind, and let the endorphins in and reach euphoria. Live out your fantasies! We all have them. Spice it up… just make sure THAT together you reach ecstasy.

Don’t be judgmental. Learn to be less judgmental. be in tune. There is only 60 min. in 1 hr, 24 hrs in a day, 168 hrs in a week. Be grateful.

I never thought I would say this, but I feel lucky and you should too. You do not have to wear your boots to brush your teeth or take a shower. You do not have to carry a knife for self-defense the majority of your day. See, I know a thing or two about captivity as I am currently in prison. As I reflect, I am grateful. I won’t let this, or anything break me because all I have to do is put my hand on my chest, feel and hear my heartbeat, think and meditate, and give thanks that I am alive.