I just lost a student to cancer.  She was 83 years old, and had been a personal training student of mine for 11 years.  She was  dedicated to her workouts, coming 2-3 times a week, and we became dear friends.
While she was in hospice, I visited often.  The day before she  left the planet, I layed in bed with her.  Her eyes were closed, she didn't move, and she had the death rattle (noisy breathing).  I spoke to her, having no idea if she could hear me or not.  I told her how wonderful she was, and how much she meant to me,  and reminded her of fun times we had together. 
Then, something inspired me and  I said, "Hey!  Are you just doing this to get out of exercise?  Because if so, it's not going to work!  So here we go.  Exercise number one: lift a finger." After a few seconds, of nothing, I figured she either didn't hear me, or couldn't do it.  Then she  did it!  She lifted a finger! Unsure if it was a coincidence, I said, "Okay!  Exercise number two: lift an eyebrow."  Again, it took a few seconds, but she did it!  She really did it!  I was so excited, I said "Great job!  Exercise number 3:  move your lips."    Amazingly, she did it.  I  could hardly believe it.  I told her she did a great job, and her  workout was complete.   
I'll never ever forget that.  As I laughed, I told her how much I honored her for playing along, and for still having a sense of humor.
I will miss this dear person, very much.  She was an absolute blessing to me.

So just think.  If she can exercise  while on her literal death bed, then you can do something too!  The trick is to do what's appropriate for you.  Go for it.

Coronavirus.  It's all I have heard about for too long.  My business has taken a hit, for sure, but many others have it far worse than I (or is it me?). I now have much more time on my hands.  I have been trying to keep busy with things other than eating and facebook.  Those seem to be the things that call me most. 
This morning, while I was getting ready for the day, I decided to slow down my routine.  As I flossed, (okay, this is a little embarrassing to admit, but) I actually flossed between ALL of my teeth, even back behind my wisdom  teeth.    What?!?!?  LOL!  I slowed down.  I took the time to really get in there and do a thorough job.  
As I brushed my teeth, I took time to feel my teeth getting clean.  I noticed how much pressure I put on my teeth with my brush.  By the way, why isn't it called a teethbrush?  Oops, I digress.  I spent more time brushing, and enjoyed the experience of it.
I did the same while washing my face, moisturizing and putting on my face.  (That's an old expression, isn't it? ) I slowed everything down and enjoyed it.
As I ate my breakfast,  I actually sat down.  I don't always do that.  Wow, I'm confessing a lot today, aren't I?  And I chewed my food more thoroughly and tasted it more.  
I have no idea how much longer my routine took today, but today I have time.  Time to be mindful during the little things. 
​One thing I've learned in the past few years is that truly, your mind can only think about one thing at a time.  If you want a break from all the hype, focus on the little things in life.  Right now is when we have time to do that, so maybe... just maybe... we can get into a good habit of mindfulness that will keep us healthier.  A healthy mind is worth everything, and sometimes it's just the little things that make a big difference.

In my life, there has been nothing more difficult than watching a loved one  suffer with health issues.  When all you can do is stand by their side and let them know you love them, it doesn't feel like near enough.  It's stressful to say the least.  One thing I've learned, is that stress comes from trying to control something that you can't control.  Another person's health falls within that category, for sure.  You can't control someone's failing kidneys.  You can't control someone's  dementia.  You can't control someone's seizures.  All you can do is be there.  You can talk with them, hold their hand, make them a meal, clean their house, etc., but it seems so nominal.  It seems like nothing.    It can make you feel helpless, and bring your spirit down.
This morning I was feeling down, and I decided that I was going to let my inner warrior    angel guide me today.  I call it my inner warrior angel because I got an image of a beautiful white angel with a sword.  She looked beautiful, graceful, smart and strong.  It looked and felt to me as though she could handle anything.  I liked that, and it felt good to me to feel that spirit that I know is within me.  It helped.
Then I kind of laughed to myself.  I thought of the story of Sybil.  She was a real woman who had 16 personalities.  She was diagnosed with  Multiple Personality Disorder: a type of psychosis.  Depending on what was happening in her life, different personalities would come through.  If I remember correctly, some of her personalities were children, some were men, some were women.   
For a moment I thought, "Oh no!  Am I psychotic?!?"  Luckily I remembered that her personalities didn't know that the others existed.  I think that is key, so I figured I'm okay.  LOL
But it made me ponder the idea that people really do have different aspects of themselves.  If one were to meet the Queen of England, they would attune to  a certain aspect of themself that would be far different than the aspect they would attune to  when meeting up at a bar    with a lifelong friend that they hadn't seen in 20 years.    A singer brings out a different aspect  of themself on stage than they would at a gas station.  Thank Goodness!
Anyway, I'm thankful that I can draw on the strongest and most beautiful part of myself whenever I want to.  It's a very good thing.

When I go for a run, I always smile and say hi to anyone I pass by.  This morning, my friendliness was completely ignored.  The man had a scowl on his face, and did not look away from the ground.  Although it didn't bother me in the least, it reminded me of times when I've heard people complain about holding a door open for someone without receiving a thank you.  I've actually seen people scream, "You're welcome" to a person who seemed oblivious to what just happened.

When people are sad, distraught, depressed, etcetera, it is common to turn our attention inward.  We think about what happened yesterday, or  last year, or 10 minutes ago, or what we're going to do when we get home, or next week, or whenever.   In other words, we're not in the present moment.  Even if it looks like a person is seeing  what's going on around them, it could very well be the only thing they're aware of is how they are feeling.  

Practice compassion.   You just never know what is happening in someone's life.    They may be struggling through a trauma.  To get upset about  not receiving a thank you, is such a trivial thing. 

We've all had times in our life that we can't muster up a smile, we can't  swallow hard enough to speak,   we can't look up from the ground, or we're simply oblivious to our surroundings.    

Know this:  if someone totally ignores you as you hold a door, the kindness that you offered is probably more important, more helpful, than what you do for the person who has what it takes to look you straight in the eye, smile, and say thank you.

The next time you do something nice for someone, anything nice, and you are ignored, I thank you for doing that.