It was named for the Roman god, Janus.
Janus was considered to be the god of gates and doors. His unusual appearance sported a head with two faces – each looking in opposite directions. It is believed that he was depicted in this fashion because of the notion that gates and doors looked in two directions. In this way, one of his faces was able to look backwards while the other looked forward. In his role as the guardian of exits and entrances, Janus was also believed to represent beginnings, including the progression from the past to the future and from one condition to another. We’ve obviously transitioned from one of the most challenging years of our lifetimes. And while we are still in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, the optimist in me says that we are beginning to turn the corner –even if this is only the beginning of the beginning.
Despite the uncertainties that continue to swirl around and the challenges that lay over the horizon, I believe we all have an opportunity to begin anew. Not only as it relates to the impact of the pandemic but after every crisis, we face in our lives.
Here are some ideas:
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ACCEPT REALITY
Simply accept what is. No amount of denial is going to change the circumstances in which you find yourself.
Acceptance doesn’t mean throwing your hands in the air and resigning yourself to fate. Blaming others for your circumstances or resenting the way things are does nothing to help you find success and contentment
By acknowledging the circumstances you are dealing with, you empower yourself to start taking the actions necessary to make things better.
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USE YOUR IMAGINATION
You may not have any control over the circumstances in which you find yourself but you certainly can control the thoughts you think, the images you visualize and hence the actions you take. So spend time imagining a better way forward and ultimately a destination that is infinitely better than the one your current circumstances suggest.
By imagining a better way forward, you will be able to figure out the habits that serve you well, new habits and skills you need to develop, the knowledge you need to gain and contacts you need to make in order to make your imagination a reality.
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COMMIT TO CHANGE
As the adage goes, “if nothing changes, nothing changes”. In order for things to change for you, you have to personally make some changes and you must commit to them. You have to throw your all into it 100%. As they say, “if it’s to be, it’s up to me.” Despite everything that is going on around you, you have the ability to steer your life in the direction that you want to go.
When you are committed to change, you begin to feel more confident as you deal with the uncertainties swirling around you. This improvement in confidence shifts the way you think about your prospects and become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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BE APPRECIATIVE
During challenging times, we have a tendency to only focus on the events that took place (or didn’t) or the loss or the lack we have experienced, so much so, that we completely lose sight of the good things that we have going for us.
No one lives a perfect life. Even in the midst of difficulties, we have much to be thankful for. As a noted psychologist, Dr Robert Emmons said, “Gratitude allows us to participate in life more fully”. He noted that acknowledging the good in life has a tendency to amplify positive emotions such as joy and contentment and ultimately allow us to feel like we are making progress, which in the end is what we all want.
Keep On Pushing!