15 things I learned about resilience during the pandemic 

1. Attend church in person and online.
2. Keep an open mind.
3. Write down your goals.  
4. Keep in contact with all of your friends.
5. Took a Real Estate Appraisal class to sharpen my skills and earned my real estate license.  
6. Paid off debt.
7. Increased my credit score.
8. Changed jobs.
9. Moved to a different city with my significant other.
10. A few projects on my family home.  
11. Sold a home to a client and gave a real estate referral to an agent in another state.
12. Attended two weddings and a bachelorette trip.  
13. Took several trainings on Zoom.  
14. Finally reviewed my transcript from Mills College.
15. Exercise.
16. Be social.
17. Had a morning and nightly routine.
18. Listen to podcasts – inspirational, real estate and finance.
19. Read autobiographies.
20. Incorporate classical and jazz into my day.

My grandparents were fiscally conservative which included having life insurance. My grandfather cashed out his life insurance policy and used it as a downpayment for our legacy home back in the mid 1960’s. My aunt cashed out her life insurance policy to pay medical debt.

These are just a couple of examples of getting a living benefit of life insurance. A person can pay off student loans and even start a business with it.

Watch the video below where I give you more reasons to invest in life insurance.

During the global pandemic, many industries have changed and adapted to reach their core audience and or customers. The music industry has adapted in some ways but in person experience is better than online.

I miss concerts, private listening events, musicals and the symphony.

I recently began watching and listening to NPR Music’s Tiny Desk series – it’s fabulous. One of my favorite episodes is Raphael Saadiq with a special guest Lucky Daye.

Hope you enjoy it!

In 2017, my grandmother passed away. It was a challenging emotional experience. I began to re-evaluate my life and my purpose. What had I accomplished ? How were my romantic relationships? Who loved me? How was I loving? Did I add value to my friends? What would people remember me for? What emotions would my memory evoke?

My perspective on life changed.

The concept of life had changed

Life has a way of changing you for the better or worse. A loss of a loved one, a pandemic, loss of income, health problem, a divorce, foreclosure, betrayal or a heartbreak. These circumstances can break the human spirit.

I often wonder how some people escape the bitter taste that life can give? Is it the acceptance of yourself? Security? Love? Personality? Open mindedness? Nimble?

As I experience more life, the people that I admire seem to have a joy for life. These few people have a child like spirit at an older age. I admire people that are brave enough to love again after a heartbreak. The world can be a dark place but I am more intrigued with those that not only survive but thrive while keeping their hearts as pure as possible. In my experience, many people stop dreaming and being curious about life. Or, they become so focused on the negative and complaints.

It is easy to complain and have pity for yourself. It takes more work to create, choose love, choose patience, joy, understanding and encourage others in life.

When I was grieving, there were a few things that kept my spirit high: daily prayer, daily scripture reading, singing, crying, listening to sermons and inspirational talks as well as spending time with good friends/family.

I used my journal as a tool to express my feelings.

How do you thrive in the many different seasons of life? What keeps you in high spirits?

Prayer – morning prayer or meditation

Starting the day in prayer – thanking and giving requests for loved ones, friends, communities, the poor, etc. When I begin my day in prayer, my heart is grateful. Gratitude journal. If you write down 5 things that you are grateful for everyday, it puts you in a better mood.

Exercise. Take a walk around your neighborhood, jog around your neighborhood or pilates/yoga.

Cook a new recipe. Pick out a recipe and create a scrumptious meal for your loved ones.

Dance. Put on a good song and move your body around.

Listen to an inspirational speak or sermon on Youtube.

Have a conversation with an elder in your family, neighborhood, church or local. This will give you a broader perspective on life.

Consume a healthy amount of news.

Disagreements – Ask yourself will it matter in 1 year, 5 years or 10 years from now?

Life is short. Everything is temporary.