As we enter our 4th week of quarantine and with another 3 weeks scheduled life has changed considerably for everyone and possibly we won’t be the same people again once we reach the other side.

 
I sit here and reflect on the enormity of the quarantine and the implications it’s done to businesses all over the world somehow I can’t be too despondent because I think of all the people who have died a horrible death on their own, with no family at their side, heartbreaking and all the frontline staff in the hospitals who have worked so hard under very difficult circumstances.   

Thinking of this certainly puts into perspective the constant drive to achieve in business at the cost of family life, and those of who have our businesses and those who work long hours to provide are all guilty of saying to our children, ” yes we ill do it later”   “perhaps tomorrow, I am busy”  I for one am very guilty.

Routines have changed dramatically, home school, working from home, not being able to even leave the house, it’s all very alien and mentally hard on all concerned.  However, one thing it has taught me is to be more tolerant and respectful of those around you. I used to go to the gym religiously every day without fail before quarantine and for me, I found it very hard to comprehend that “my time” had been taken away for the foreseeable future.  But I could have sulked and sat on the sofa feeling sorry for myself or begin a routine at home and hit the gym when it opens in better shape than before, be mentally strong and find something that will challenge you.  I found an old guitar in the garage, on one of family tidying up sprees we have had over the last few weeks, and now I am learning the guitar online, something I have always wanted to do but never had the time!

Living in and owning a business here in Spain gives you a great life-work balance if you actually stop to live a little.  The pursuit of building a business and working hard for the rewards that come is always at the forefront of your mind, but what I have learned during this “quiet period or quarantine” the rewards are already around you, your family and friends.

Now more than ever I appreciate them more, and I have made a great effort to give them more time, it’s the time that’s valuable and something you just can’t buy.  Helping my daughter fix her sewing machine that has sat idle for the 6 months because I was going to do it tomorrow, gave us great pleasure, she was thrilled I spent the time to fix it.

It was my brother’s 50th birthday on Friday, April 3rd, and we had organised a surprise video call with family and friends, of course, it was chaos everyone new the video technology and all speaking at once.  However, once we got used to it and we actually created a system of who was speaking was granted the full attention of everyone else it began to be fun but was that the wine which was making it fun?  Either way, we spent nearly 4 hours glued to the laptop screen laughing and joking and it was a great night and an even bigger surprise for my brother. 

So it’s the simple things that will get us through this hard time, embrace it and begin to reevaluate what your life goals are and come out the other side a better person and if we all do this the world will be a better place for it.
Stay safe and stay at home.