Much has been lost during this COVID-19 global pandemic, certainly nothing more significant than lives. For those who have lost loved ones or who have struggled with health while beating this insidious virus, I send you lots of love, support, and sympathy.
But many have also lost certainty.
Peace of mind.
Even faith.
Add to that the economic loss of jobs, financial security, savings, or...just maybe those were not there, to begin with and this exacerbated an already tremendously difficult situation.
This has not been “good” for us in any way. I have seen the arguments, and I understand the need to find silver linings...heck, I am looking for them, too. There are some, for sure, but they pale in the face of the overall tragic consequences of this world event.
I have been trying to really focus on the following quote from the Stoic philosopher, Epictetus:
“We should always be asking ourselves, ‘Is this something that is, or is not, in my control?’” - Epictetus
It has not only given me increased peace of mind, but it has also helped to shape my actions both personally and professionally.
I LOST the ability to travel freely. I FOUND priceless time to be with my family.
I LOST the ability to visit in person with some extended family and friends. I FOUND the opportunity to be of service to them during trying times and the ability to connect with many of them more frequently than before and in fun and creative ways.
I cannot control whether or not my gym is open. Therefore, I expend no energy on it. I LOST that. I CAN control whether I take advantage of all the ways I can maintain and even improve my fitness from home. So...that is where my energy goes. And, I have FOUND that I can absolutely take control of my body and physical wellness. I am empowered.
Teachers LOST the normal structure and routine of school. They LOST face to face time with students and colleagues. Many have FOUND a new spirit of innovation and collaboration and a resilience that is truly staggering. Does it look the same? No. Is it as good? I am not sure that is the right question at the moment. It IS. And, I am inspired by what I see. No time to plan for this. No training for this. Just BOOM...instant change. Thank you to all educators in a school system right now putting it all on the line, working harder than ever, and supporting students and staff in the best ways they know how. I offer nothing but praise for all that goes well and nothing but sincere grace for all that does not. Much gratitude and respect.
I can’t control that thousands of dollars of speaking events have been canceled. It is useless to belabor it. I CAN control how I prepare to proactively move forward in a world where virtual events are going to be more and more common. I LOST the events. I FOUND an opportunity to connect and spread my message in new ways. I FOUND that all of the book study Skypes and Google Hangouts, the podcast interviews, and virtual edcamp guest appearances, etc. over the years have taught me how to express my passion in increasingly effective ways in online spaces.
As a business, we LOST the chance to host #dbcPIRATEcon. We worked for a year on it. It was going to be an event like no other. It had an incredible array of unusual and memorable experiences built all around the edges of an incredible and unprecedented speaking lineup. It had specialty “pop-up” events from super early in the morning to after midnight over multiple days. It had a treasure hunt. We LOST time, energy, and...just maybe over 6 figures of money. We LOST the chance to host over 50 of our authors here in San Diego. Most significantly, we LOST the opportunity to meet, connect, and learn with a wonderful community of DBC Inc book readers who were traveling from around the world to be here.
We can’t control it. But, we FOUND a way to turn it into a chance to raise money for an incredible cause that we truly believe in...mental health. We ran a t-shirt contest leading up to the conference (won by Joshua Stamper!) and created a gorgeous conference shirt. Many still wanted it! So we FOUND a way to redesign it to make “The Lost Experience” collector’s edition. ALL proceeds from sales of the shirt go The JED Foundation. We are making the shirt available for anyone who would like one - whether you registered or not.
As parents of a teenager who struggles with mental health, we know all too well how devastating mental illness can be. The JED Foundation works with teens, young adults, and schools to protect emotional health and prevent suicide. With social isolation as our new normal, supporting the mental health needs of our youth has never been more important.
Click RIGHT HERE to help us support this great cause and get a beautiful one of a kind shirt, too! They come in both standard crew neck and a v-neck.
I can’t control whether someone or a group of educators choose to use their social media platform to misrepresent me, DBC Inc., or our authors. I CAN control and improve my self-discipline in not adding oxygen to the fire by responding. Even recently, when someone CLEARLY mischaracterized my message (meanwhile promoting a message that actually IS a central part of my message! Ha!! The irony!), I chose not to go down the rabbit hole. Such people, despite their attempts to say otherwise, are NOT interested in constructive dialogue. I have FOUND it to not only be a waste of energy, unproductive in the big scheme of things but also detrimental to my well-being to engage with their toxicity. A lesson I only learned the hard way...and I’m still not perfect, by any means!
Many of our authors have LOST their opportunity to go and share the messages of their books with educators at face-to-face events and conferences. We FOUND an opportunity to give them a platform to share ways to help teachers and leaders navigating remote/distance learning for the first time. We have created a series of DBC Remote Learning Guides directly from our authors to YOU. During this crazy stretch, they will be completely FREE. We want them in your hands now and at no expense. The first of these ebooks should be ready VERY soon from Adam Peterson. He just released the amazing book, #TeachPlayLearn: How to Create a Purposeful Play-Driven Classroom. Watch for an announcement here and on social media. Can’t wait to share.
We FOUND a way to get our books into your hands immediately and at an incredible price. We lowered ALL DBC Inc and IMpress books to $2.99 on Kindle. Instant downloads...less than 3 bucks a book. Stock up now! This is a limited offer during all of this stay-at-home order craziness. Our special offer page is HERE, and our book page is HERE...but if you know what you want, just go to Amazon and click the Kindle format.
As you move forward through these surreal and challenging times, energy is at a premium. It is SO easy to get sapped and depleted by expending it on circumstances completely out of our control. When you feel that happening, I highly recommend pulling back, take some deep breaths, and ask the question from Epictetus, “Is this something that is, or is not, in my control?” Then, proceed accordingly. There are plenty of wonderful ways to direct our energy that will produce positive results. Oh...I am writing this to me, too! I mess up ALL the time.
If we can help, please let us know.
Dave
PS: Did I mention how excited we are about supporting mental health via The JED Foundation? Plus, we are in love with the shirt! CLICK HERE to support!
PSS: We have a special Pirate Package deal going on right now, as well. Choose 3 “Like a Pirate” books (8 choices!!) for $30 and get a FREE Journal Like a Pirate ($24.95 value) with each order!!! I know you have been eying that Journal...it is specially designed with unique reflection spaces, inspirational quotes, and even planner features. Now you can get it FREE with your PIRATE Package. Click RIGHT HERE for details!!
PSSS: How many $2.99 Kindles are you getting? Hit me up on Twitter at @burgessdave or on Instagram at @dbc_inc!!