I turned being quarantined into a spreading virus. It has spread into my creativity, my mindset, and my momentum.

At Thrive we talk about now being enough. If where I’m at right now is enough, I can easily move forward. If now is not enough, I have to get to enough (dig myself out of the trenches) before I can move forward. A lot more energy and work is required to move forward if now is not enough. Well, I have to admit that on this umpteenth day of quarantine, now does NOT feel like enough.

I see Facebook postings from my sister who went to Nevada in early November to ride her horse along the vast Southwestern deserts. She posts pictures of her ride through beautiful sunset colored canyons, pockets of ancient valleys, expansive lakes, and crystal clear winding rivers. Why can’t I be stuck there – exploring America’s deserts? Why can’t my quarantine be beautiful?

Have I just lost my imagination? Is it because I live in the cold Midwest?

I feel like I’ve done incredibly well up to this point but then BAM! I’m stir crazy! Was it because I was ready for a vacation but my cruise was cancelled?

I’m not sure. But what I do know is that now is taking a lot more out of me than I thought it would. So how do I get back into my groove? How do I reconnect to that momentum that always been there for me?

And then I realized, it’s all in my head. I have effectively quarantined my brain!

Is that even possible?

Well for me it was. If I felt tired – “It’s the quarantine.” If I did something wrong, “It’s the quarantine.” If this or that happened – “It’s the quarantine.”

I allowed the quarantine to hijack my brain. It became one big, fat monster of an excuse. I knew I had to shift my perspective on it, interact differently with it, and figure out how to move it forward.

So, I used a Thrive tool that takes me from what I don’t want to what I do want. I don’t want to feel a lack of creativity. After all, creativity is hugely important during these times.

So what would I rather experience? An abundance of creativity. Next, I find one thing I can do that makes me feel creative. It’s what I call, “head EASt.” I come up with one Easy Action Step that I can take toward my desire. (I have to make it easy, so I’m more inclined to take it.)

Then, I take it!

Heading in the direction of my creativity will initiate the law of physics which states that as I move in the direction of creativity, more will come to me.

During this quarantine it’s easy for unwanted thoughts, behaviors, and emotions to creep in like a virus. And, just like we’re taking steps to maintain our health, we must take steps to empower our minds.