These are trying times. We are sheltered in place as the coronavirus makes its presence known worldwide. Our economy is in crisis. These are trying times.

How we react or respond makes this the opportunity of a lifetime. I do not believe in coincidences, so there is something in this situation that gives each of us an answer to our most burning question.

A lot of us have been at home for the past two weeks. Being at home will continue, and more of you may join us. How we deal with this depends on our point of view. One of my teachers would advise to “enjoy not enjoying.” He meant that if you have to do something, you might just as well enjoy doing it. I have used and taught this mantra to gain perspective and enjoy more.

How are you viewing this time out of your routine?  I spend a lot of my time telling people who want to achieve something more, to get out of their routine. Shelter in place is the gift of getting out of your routine. Why does this matter? When we are in a routine, we become unconscious. Our routine becomes a habit that is hard to break. If our habit is hard to break, then there is no space for something new, even something you desperately want.

So does that mean we now have the opportunity to have something we desperately want? Perhaps. You are out of your routine. You choose how to use your time, focus your attention, and imagine your life. Hopefully, you are not creating new mind-numbing routines.

Are you at home waiting to go back to your routine, for things to go back to normal – as they were? Is that really what you want?

Take this time away from your routine. Rather than fill your mind. Empty your thinking, so there is space for a new perspective. Rather than stay busy, allow quiet, and heal yourself. Do things that support you and your wellness. Exercise. Eat better. Get more rest. Drink more water. Have fun. Meditate. Reflect. Express yourself – let who you are at your core be expressed in some way – singing, writing, playing music, through art, gardening, and any other form of self-expression. All of these steps bring you back to yourself and what is important to you.

We are not merely waiting to back to our routine because things will not be the same. Take this time to reconnect to yourself and what you desire in your life. Even if you go back to your job and friends, do you want to go back with the same habits, perspective, and routine?

What is your most pressing question? What have you been hoping and praying for? What do you truly want? Imagine yourself having it. We can unconsciously go through our days, or we can see and create each day to experience more of who we are at our core. Now is the time and the opportunity.

What does all of this have to do with fate and destiny?  Fate – you just go along.  Destiny – you decide where and how you are going.