I recently came across this quote:

“The greatest oak was once a little nut, that held its ground.” Anon.

It really helped me to remember and appreciate that life isn’t easy and that there will be challenges that come along that will mean things aren’t smooth sailing. Right now, we are facing a crisis of global proportions that is creating fear and uncertainty, and huge challenges for the majority of us.

For those of us that were fortunate to be born in the prosperous years we have more than likely never had to face anything like this before and so consciously working out how to respond is of paramount importance. Acknowledging that we cannot control the external events that are happening right now, we must remember that we can always choose our response to them. Being fearful is natural, but is not a good place to spend too much time.

I am sure that the little nut was good at shielding itself from the ravages of nature by developing roots so it could dig in and cope with whatever challenges it faced. Now is the time for us to be like the nut – we need to dig in and shield ourselves from what is going on in the world in the knowledge that in the long run, this is what will enable us to thrive again.

So, with this in mind:

• What do you need to do to better shield yourself from what is going on?
• What are you focusing on that isn’t serving you?
• What can you focus on that enables you to stay more grounded and positive?
• How can you create a sense of hope and optimism that creates an inner strength you can draw on going forward?

Now is the time to choose our response – by being like the nut and choosing to hold our ground, not only do we grow into the greatest oaks, we inspire others to do the same.