Well…here we are…another Monday.
Another day in quarantine.
I sincerely hope that all of you are staying safe and healthy with all that is continuing to happen in the world.
And before I move on to this week’s post, I start off with the paragraph I continue to re-iterate each week:
My heart goes out to those who have passed away from this virus. My heart goes out to all of those who are currently suffering and fighting to get well. My heart goes out to everyone who has been directly and indirectly affected by this virus. My heart goes out to all people who are working the front lines to restore health and well-being to the world around us. My heart goes out to all of us who are working to navigate the unknown on the daily with feelings of anxiety and despair.
Well, it’s time to get on with this week’s post, which means grab your side-kick beverage and read on!
I know that every single one of us has probably had moments of stress, confusion, unknown, and every adjective in between throughout this quarantine process.
And this week…for some reason…it really came to a head and got to me. It was like an explosion of emotions that was bubbling up inside. The week was absolutely shitty in many ways, but just to name a few (besides just being stuck in quarantine) that got me all frustrated, anxious, sad, pissed off and basically every emotion, here is a short list:
-One of my customers at my full-time job shared with me when I called her this week that her husband passed away and I immediately filled up with emotion. I appreciate the customers I get to work with on the daily and work hard to build connections with them, so when a piece of information like this is shared with me, it is so hard for me to not to feel that emotion with the person even if it is through the media outlet of an email, chat, or phone call. It feel almost like they are part of my extended family so to speak.
-I learned this week that not only was the production of Frozen on Broadway that I bought tickets for to see in August was being cancelled, but that it was being closed permanently because of COVID-19. This was something that really made me sad because it was to be part of the annual trip I take with my bestie Devin to celebrate our birthdays. Even more so, it was something that I was really looking forward to as a “respite” and “release” to all the madness happening in the world.
-I had to refuse a new washer and dryer that I purchased at the end of April because I measured my door frame wrong. I was so frustrated that I had made an error in my measurements and got so upset and literally called my mom to yell and scream just because I had a moment of complete irrational craziness. She got the brunt of my frustration for no reason along with every curse word in the book. Needless to say it was not one of my proudest moments.
-The continuation of negative news, opinions, and articles that I see on every media outlet are disheartening, frustrating, and fill my soul with fear.
So, with all of these aspects that were throwing their darkness at me, you might be asking yourself, “How does Mr. Sunshine find the sunshine during these dark days?”
Well, I’m so glad you asked because I’m going to share just a few aspects of where I find/found my sunshine this week (and other weeks) that will hopefully help you also find that sunshine when you feel like the world is closing in and causing you to suffocate under the darkness.
Ready. Set. GO!
1. John Kransinski and Some Good News
-I’m not sure how I did not discover this until now, but a huge shout out to my college friend, John Schmidt for introducing this channel to me. If any of you (like me) are sick of the negative energy that is blasted on the news, then this is the channel for you. John gathers moments from all around the world to share positive news and energy and it is beautiful, rewarding, and even worthy of a few tears. Go check it out because you will not be disappointed.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOe_y6KKvS3PdIfb9q9pGug
2. Using Zoom to reconnect with my show choir family
-This past Wednesday, I got the opportunity to reconnect virtually with my Penn State Show Choir family, The Singing Lions. It was amazing and so wonderful in so many ways to see these individuals that were responsible for keeping me at Penn State. Throughout the entire call, my soul was filled with such joy. If you haven’t already done so, I would encourage each of you to reach out directly to someone that you have not communicated with in a long time to just check in, connect, and talk. Share love. Share support. It will make you feel so good on the inside and will be worth every single minute.
3. The Disney motivational video
-I have my coworker, Jenn Rudy to thank for this one. She reached out to share this video, which happened to be part of the curriculum she is currently using to teach her kids during quarantine at home. I loved every single moment and I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t shed a tear. It was prefect and incredibly relevant with the current times and resonated in so many ways for me. I hope it does for you as well.
4. The new Katy Perry song
-I’ve always been a Katy Perry fan and always will be. Loyalty is part of my personality, so it is something I take very seriously and something I’m very passionate about. Katy released this new song Friday and it has been on repeat since. The lyrics are empowering, positive, and remind us to never let anyone keep us from being ourselves. Enjoy.
5. Having a crucial conversation with someone special in your life
-While this type of conversation is one that I’ve never mastered or been good at, they are so beneficial and helpful in so many respects. It helps display full honesty, true vulnerability, and helps all involved truly understand each other and see all angles of a situation. The conversation was one that needed to be had and I truly believe in my heart it was for the best and will only build a stronger foundation of trust, friendship, support, and love for the future. I want to thank the person for calling me out on my actions that led to this moment and having the kindness to allow me the chance to explain my complete thoughts and feelings without any judgment.
I hope that some of you will be able to enjoy these above aspects that I’ve talked about in order to find some happiness or distraction from the negative happening in the world. I encourage you to take a few minutes of your day to not only experience them personally, but to share them with someone else in your life who you feel might benefit from them as well.
Until our paths meet again next week, please stay safe and healthy.
Sprinkle sunshine always,
JP!
Mr. Sunshine Smiles 