Notes by Julie Furlong

We are now living in a time where COVID-19 has become part of our everyday, and forced us to look at many aspects of our life differently. Functioning in this new way of being has been interesting, as I feel it can go in 2 directions - a direction of connection or one of disconnection. For some, this time has been a setback, encountering adversity, anxiety and fear. For others it’s been a time of opportunity, to relook at our relationships, our business or career, our family life balance and even our education. This moment has certainly been a test of character and beliefs for me. The time of COVID–19 has made me decide, will I be restricted by COVID–19, or will I reinvent, evolve and believe in myself to find the silver linings?
(Read: 9 Simple tips that lead to positive thinking)

The last 6 months has brought me back to when I journeyed down my own path to start my company, Design + Marketing, 21 years ago (Read: 10 Simple tips to start over again and make your dreams a reality). Even though I was nervous and encountered rejection daily, I trusted that I would figure it out along the way and I believed in myself. For me this confidence does not always come easily, but when it does come, it makes all the difference, bringing back the rhythm of a good routine and rituals again and again. I didn’t need intelligence, opportunity or resources. Just a simple belief in myself. Once you have this everything starts to work again and fall into place. Believing again makes all the difference, re-examining your life and believing helps to find the right path. And the time of COVID–19 has emphasised to all of us the importance of getting in touch with priorities and back to what is important. Aligning with our beliefs and find that path once again.

Everything works if you believe that you can make it work. You have to be willing to not just think differently, but to also experiment with new ideas and trust in them, because at some point you will make them work. Yes, the time of COVID–19 has caused many things to all of us. It has provided a reflection of how we feel and who we are. COVID–19, living with uncertainty, has made me even more thankful and provided me with a new sense of renewal and appreciation. It has forced me to dig deeper and find my essence – what is really important to me and how do I maintain that importance?

For years, I have avoided disappointment at all costs. The beginning of 2020 served me the ultimate disappointment, directly followed by COVID–19, where I had no choice but to go through it. Because the only way through it is through it…right? (Read: 4 Easy steps to avoid disappointment) Now, I’m using the situation to my advantage starting to thrive again and being so thankful for those close to me who lift me up. Yes, something bad happened, and yes it makes absolute sense to be disappointed. However, by using this disappointment to fight and believe again will assist you to realise what you can learn and take away from it, making you stronger and teaching you the lessons.

Believing again does not mean that you approve of what has happened or that you are dismissing that you have been impacted; it does however mean that you accept it, so that you can take that control back again. These events, people and situations do not deserve to have any power over you. It happened, so shift to a place of gratitude for the life lessons it has delivered, ultimately making you stronger.

WHATEVER HAS HAPPENED TO YOU DURING COVID–19, ASK YOURSELF – ‘WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM THIS TIME?’ I KNOW WHAT I HAVE LEARNT AND CONTINUE TO LEARN, RIGHT NOW:

• Challenges make us stronger
• Negative experiences can be turned into positive ones
• People will lie and disappoint you, but that’s on them, not on you
• Beliefs are everything, and no one can take those beliefs from you
• What you want is normally already waiting for you
• Be responsible for yourself and tell the truth, not just to others, but to yourself
• There are endless possibilities in your life, and they are all possible
• Practice within yourself, take action and manifest until it happens
• Stay humble, and focus on being thankful for any opportunity

So, this is a time to consciously call it forward, reconnecting with your belief system, taking control and believing again (Read: 6 Inspirational ways to become a brave person). Establish it in your daily routine. And once you start feeling it again it strengthens you and you will realise anything you want can happen. The first and most important limit on what you can achieve is what you believe to be true about yourself. Indeed, you can get anything done. Provided, of course, you look for the silver linings and you totally believe in them. You have to be willing to not just think differently, but also to experiment with new ideas and trust that you’ll discover them along the way. Some of us have chosen to be our best when the time is not the best and believe again. It does not matter how good your ideas are, nothing will work if you don’t believe in it. And more importantly, nothing will work if you don’t believe in yourself. For the first time in a long time, right now during COVID –19, I found myself believing again, and it feels great.

THOUGHTS TO PONDER

1. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK AND INVEST IN YOURSELF!

It’s time you GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK, stop comparing yourself to others and telling yourself repetitive, self-disruptive remarks. It’s time to change your behaviour and shape habits for a better future. The one person we chat to daily is ourselves, within our own mind, and the truth of the matter is that if we practiced regular, positive self-talk with gentleness, we can become kinder – not only to ourselves but to the people around us.

With some practice, you can completely control the way you think and it is those habitual thought patterns that will ultimately determine your level of happiness.

Join me as I go through these 9 positive thought tips that will help create a positive future for you!

READ MORE >

2. YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO GIVE YOUR DREAMS A GO!

You may fail a few times before a new venture works for you. Every time you fail, think of it as being one step closer to achievement. Lots of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them and start over. The true entrepreneur is a doer and, provided they keep believing, one day they will succeed. It’s entirely your responsibility to make your dreams come true.

Looking back on my past experiences, 10 very simple tips which would have been invaluable advice during those times.

TAKE A LOOK >

3. HAPPINESS LIES WITHIN THE MANAGEMENT OF YOUR EXPECTATIONS

I’m tired of planning things that don’t turn out the way I’ve thought they would. I often lie in bed and plan perfection, with high expectations. I think to myself, “it’s going to be great”. And then I often come to the realisation that my expectations were far too high. The last few years were full of high expectations for me. Of which, most were not met. After the whirlwind of events, I asked myself, what the hell happened?

I have realised that it's not about executing the perfect plan, it's about reflecting and changing your actions and expectations along the way. From then on, I made sure to continue doing these 4 steps to avoid disappointment.

SHOW ME HOW >