5 years from now, assuming that most of us are still in good health, we’re all going to have CoronaVirus stories to tell.

Today, I planned to journal about that. The first topic I wrote down was:

What is the story, that I hope to be telling people 3 years from now, about my time throughout this COVID-19 crisis and how it changed my life?

“Oh man, crazy times, I sooooo took advantage of that time to [insert something that you know would be good to do during this odd time… like, relax, or start a new skill or hobby, or spend time with your wife, or write a book, or initiate a relief effort, etc]…”

My initial thoughts felt abnormally bland, to be honest. Strangely, I’m not sure that any of that is driving my decisions right now. Not because it wasn’t meaningful stuff, it just felt like any other ‘goals list’ might, or some sort of cheesy, positive outlook practice.
Not what I was looking for, so, I didn’t write anything down, haha.

Then, I flipped it over, gave it a shake, and blew the dust off.
I realized that I’d asked the wrong question.

What I needed to be asking was:

What is the story, that I desperately HOPE I DON’T have to be telling people 3 years from now, about my time throughout this COVID-19 crisis and how it changed my life?

Ahh, ok.
I’ve realized that this is a time of not having regrets, and that’s relevant in multiple contexts.

In 3 years on the day, I’m going to share my answers with you. Right here. I think that’d be cool, and I’d regret it if I shared them now and then forgot all about it.

If you decide to follow the journal prompt today, which I always advise that people do, and you feel confident enough to share it, please do. I’d love to read other folks’ ideas and perspectives on a podcast, and can do so anonymously if needed, too.

JOURNAL PROMPT:

What is the story, that I desperately HOPE I DON’T have to be telling people 3 years from now, about my time throughout this COVID-19 crisis and how it changed my life?