My world is quiet. It’s early morning. The homes opposite me are blanketed in snow. I am homebound here in Colorado. Homebound, probably just like you.

Who’d have ever thought it would all come to this?

Sure, maybe years ago you made it through Y2k unscathed like me, with a few extra propane tanks in your garage.

But now. Now what will be?

How will you pay your rent or mortgage?
Do you still have a job?
How far will $1,200 from the government get you?
Should you get ready to declare bankruptcy?

These are the questions many of us have. I have similar ones.

During the early part of this past week, I paid 30+ employees in my other business. Get people cash asap was all I could think. Take care of them. They need money now.

I’d laid them off hours ago. Excuse me, they were furloughed. Put on temporary leave of absence. And yet temporary foreshadows a sense of the future. A future, which is still unknown.

Sure, I imagine this whole thing will blow over in a few months, likely more. And yet, will I have any revenue to rehire anyone? My head spins. I can’t say. I can only think about it so much, without sending myself into anxiety.

I don’t know the future. No one does.

I reach for my phone foolishly, unconsciously for the first time since waking up. I seek to soothe my fears. I get conscious to what I’m doing.

I pause and ask myself, is this really what I need right now?

I explore further, see a New York Times headlines about coronavirus and government action.

Not thinking, I put the phone down. But other thoughts continue.

– How will I get through this?
– Will my savings last?
– Do I keep my business open?
– Do I call a bankruptcy lawyer?
– How much do I owe the banks?
– Will they come after everything I have?

I realize then what I need to do. And then I do it.

I stand in my kitchen in front of the patio windows, looking out at the landscape and do this esoteric Qigong practice I recently learned.

I reach with my hands for earth and sky, bringing those energies to my chest. Then reflect on breath, posture, and mind. And then I empty the cup of the past and the future. I commit to present-mindedness.

I do the whole practice, which includes all kinds of strange, thousands year old eastern practices.

Anointing the dragon of consciousness.
Sculpting the ball of no-thingness.
Changing directions.

I do it, moving and meditating, like a slow, steady, and clear warrior. Even while fearful thoughts come.

I continue, my thoughts diminish in charge. They become more clear, more insightful. Fewer, better, more nourishing thoughts.

It is clear to me I am cultivating a state of mental acuity, a paradoxical state of better preparedness through less fear.

I am making friends with fear. It stands besides me, beneath me, no longer coming at me from above.

And I have done what I needed to do.

Trust myself.
Trust my body.
Listen to a deeper guide within.

I have that ability. Some do not. It’s what I teach – how to listen to the deeper knowing within; how to not self-betray; how to live in self-mastery.

During this time, we must stay connected to wise, calm voices. It will help us make better decisions — financial, business, relational —  for how to get through this unprecedented time.

But as men, we often isolate, go it alone. And now more than ever, going it alone will keep a man mentally and emotionally weak, even scared.

Take a stand against isolating. Join me this Tues, March 24, 2020 at 9am mtn time for The Men’s Empowerment Zoom Call.

We will start out with a brief process similar to the one I described above. Then we’ll go into how to stay mentally and emotionally strong during this time, with tips such as:

 – How to work with fear of your future.
– How to channel anxiety into strength.
– How to be at home with your family and not go nuts.

Register to join the call. Or forward this to a man you know.

 

P.S. If you’re that guy who feels like it might be weird to be on video chat with a bunch of guys you’ve never met, this is especially for you. I guarantee any weirdness will be gone within minutes. Join the call.