Despite Coronavirus, the Dow Jones dumping a lot of its value and the ill-advised creation of the movie “Cats” we really are living in the best of times for most of the world.

It may not seem that way, in fact, all you have to do is go to any web “news” site like CNN, MSNBC, FOX, Drudgereport — you name it.  If you do, prepare to have your blood pressure go up and thinking to yourself that you should have built that bomb shelter or moved to rural Idaho a long time ago.

I get it.  It’s awfully scary out there in a lot of ways.  It’s hard to grasp how to deal with any of it.  Which makes it even scarier.  In the absence of information to help you deal with diseases and finance and which movies to really see at the theater and those to watch at home how is someone to cope in today’s world?

That’s why I wrote this piece.

I’m here to help you.  All of you.  And, it won’t cost you a thing except your time.

Help Somebody Who Needs Help:  It’s easy.  Instead of focusing on your own problems spend some time helping somebody else deal with their problems.  Go online and instead of typing in “What crazy disease should I worry about today” type in “Volunteer Opportunities in my community.”  Find someone who is worth your time instead of the website that’s going to waste your time.  Deliver a meal.  Pack food for someone in the world who needs to eat.  Help build a home.  Walk a dog.  Stuff an envelope.  But do something.

Say “Good Morning” on the elevator: Or, smile at someone on the street.  Hold the door open for someone.  Ask somebody if they’re okay.  Talk to the person on the bus who wants to talk when you don’t want to talk.  Engage in some meaningful way with someone.  Thank the person who cleans your office with a note.  The person who cleans your hotel with a tip.  Call or email someone you had a fight with and see if you can’t make amends.  Human kindness starts with human interaction.

Vote in an election:  Who cares what you stand for, your ideology or who you support or don’t support, empower yourself to empower your life.  Go to the polls.  Maybe you go vote in Super Tuesday.  It’s easy.  Even if you have never voted before.  If you live in Minnesota and have never voted before you can vote on Election Day.  Just follow this link to learn how:  https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/register-to-vote/register-on-election-day/ And here’s the thing, whether the candidate you voted for won or lost here’s what absolutely did win:  Democracy and you!  And, for those of us living in a democracy that’s a really big deal!

Eat the KFC Chicken and Donut Sandwich:  Trust me, I know it’s bad for me.  I know that it is really, really bad for me.  But, you know what?  Who cares?  Eat it.  Or, eat something else that you know you shouldn’t eat but you want to eat.  We have become so obsessed with how we look or how we are supposed to look or what someone thinks of how we look that we have stopped using our heads when it comes to food.  It’s not the one KFC Chicken and Donut Sandwich that’s going to kill you.  It’s the fact we don’t get out and walk and do even the mildest of exercise.  Eat the food.  Do the walk.  Simple as that.

Do some damn research:  If you’re going to go online today, go online to learn something.  Not to prove that you’re right about whatever bias you have about this, that or the other thing.  If Coronavirus is freaking you out, go to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and learn how to protect yourself and your family: https://bit.ly/2uQdgko If you want to know if what somebody said about this person, that person or someone else is true, spend 15 minutes doing the research to see if any of it is true.  Learn something about something you think even if what you find out means you are wrong.  If it’s worth the thinking you have put into it then it should be worth the time to find out if it’s right or wrong.

Pray:  You don’t need to pray to save the world but if you do that’s cool, too.  Pray to save yourself.  Pray to keep your cool.  Pray to send a message to G-d that He still matters in your life and the world.  Pray to send peace to people you know and those you don’t. It’s easy.  Close your eyes — or don’t– and simply Pray.  Don’t believe in G-d?  That doesn’t mean you can’t pray.  Don’t like calling it prayer?  Fine!  Call it meditation.  Call it murmuring, whispering or humming.  But, find a minute or more and do whatever it is that you call Prayer in your life and do it.

Cry.  Breathe.  Relax.  Make a Call:  It’s a world of 8 billion people out there.  It can get cold and scary and even with all those people we can all feel alone at times.  It’s okay.  Being scared, afraid, anxious and alone it’s what we all do in our lives.  It’s also okay to cry.  To breathe.  To relax.  Whether anybody’s watching or not doesn’t matter.  Take the time you need to do it.  Make the time you need to do it.  If you feel things are too much to handle then pick up your phone and call this Suicide Prevention Hotline number:  1-800-273-8255  Whether suicide is on your mind or not maybe you just need to make the call to ask somebody to help you be okay.  If you can’t call that number, then call my number at 651-600-1188.  You matter.  You matter to you.  You matter to the world.  You matter to me.  

Friends, we are all in this shit show together.  Life is what we all share in common.

While the CDC and others are telling us not to shake hands or hold hands or sneeze in one another’s face, that doesn’t mean we can’t find other ways to be in this together in a way to help one another.

Be smart out there in the world.  Make good choices.  Do things that matter to someone else.  Do things that matter to yourself.

We will get through this day.  All crisis pass.  There are more good days than bad days in this life.

You matter.  You matter to you.  You matter to the world.  You matter to me.