It’s amazing how COVID-19 has impacted the way we think and feel. I have always believed that you need to treat your mind like a garden. Imagine moving into a new home, and this home has a beautiful garden in the backyard. The previous owner took great care of their garden. They always prepared the soil and planted new seeds each year. They took the time to remove any weeds that were present and added mulch to help prevent future weeds. They watered and monitored the garden on a regular basis, and every time a weed starts to show itself, they quickly removed it. What happens if you moved into this home and did nothing to take care of this garden? Weeds will eventually overtake the garden leaving it unattractive and sparse. Weeds compete with the flowers stealing their water, sunlight and nutrients needed. Weeds will grow in your garden, even though you didn’t plant a seed. Use this as a metaphor for your thoughts. Positive thinking creates a beautiful garden, while negative thinking allows the weeds to take over. More importantly, it often takes a bit of work to maintain a healthy mind.
The thoughts we have will create the world we live in. While we may not have control on what’s happening in the world today, we do have control on how we react to the situation by the way we think.
Last night, it started to snow and my mind automatically went to “Snow, are you kidding me?! Can this year get any worse?” and I quickly realized that my mindset isn’t where it should be. While I am not an expert on the subject, I have always tried to filter the negative thoughts out of my mind and replace those thoughts with positive thinking. Unfortunately, Coronavirus has left the world in a state of uncertainty which has impacted everyone to some degree. There is a lot of negativity out there in the news and on social media.
We all know someone who is struggling with their health or finances due to COVID-19. The world is a scary place right now, and we need to recognize that the concerns we have are valid. This will allow us to take proper precautions to keep us and others safe. However, we can’t let all the negativity out there today consume our minds. I stopped a lot of my marketing efforts as I felt now isn’t the time to promote business and afraid that some may think that I may just be trying to capitalize on the opportunity. This is a form of negative thinking.
Why do I sell insurance? Because I believe in it and I know it can help those during troublesome times. Think losing an income during a pandemic is bad, imagine losing your income for the rest of your life due to a disability. I should be thinking that right now, during a time of uncertainty, is when many may value my advice more than ever. How many out there have insurance policies in place who truly do not understand their coverage, and may be wondering if they are covered if they were diagnosed with COVID-19. If they had the opportunity to speak with me, I could help them put their mind at ease a bit.
So why did I stop marketing/prospecting. Simply out of fear. Fear of what other people will think. Fear of trying to conduct business from home when my daughter is present. Fear of clients not being able to afford the cost of coverage. So how do I overcome this negative thinking? By recognizing that fear is the weed in my garden right now and changing my thought process. I need to recognize that some are going through a very difficult time, and no matter what I say or do, they may not accept the fact that I am still able to run a business and help others. This shouldn’t stop me from going out and prospecting for new business as it’s not fair to those who are looking for help from someone like myself.
When it comes to working from home with my daughter, what a wonderful way to show my clients I am a human too and that I am trying to balance all of this just as much as they are. For those that are not in the position to afford the coverage, maybe I can help them review all their coverage to see if there are ways for them to save money and still have adequate protection. It easy to accept fear, but it takes work to replace that fear with courage and strength.