This is an opinion editorial based solely on my 60 years of life experience, I have no degrees, life has been my educator.

Healthy Fear.

life seems to have no shortage of things to be fearful about but the healthy fear is based in facts. Healthy Fear can change my behaviors that may cause injury like jumping off a cliff. It’s this healthy fear that helps me grow.

Unhealthy Fear.

This type of fear (the fear of the unknown) is the most destructive in my life, if left unchecked it grows into worry and before I know it I’m worried sick about things that may happen but haven’t happened yet and frankly may never happen. This fear seems to be rooted in the unknown. The only thing I’ve found that helps me in these times of uncertainty is to focus on what is true and real. So let me apply this to the current fear that has gripped the world….. Coronavirus!

I figure my best shot of surviving the Coronavirus is;

1. I need to Remember that politicians and the media believe that you shouldn’t waste a good crisis.
2. Take personal responsibility. Nobody knows my body better than I do. If I’m feeling tired I should take it easy and rest.
3. I live in a place where our community is made up of people from all over the Country and Canada. So I have been limiting my exposure to group activities.
4. I’ve been washing my hands more and trying to limit what I touch.

In the end I will either get the virus or I won’t, that has already been decided. But my best efforts can only go so far and worry will not change that in a positive way.

Self–fulfilling prophecy.

If I give myself over to the fear of the unknown and I worry hard enough I can actually unknowingly make the very thing I’m worried about happen. For example going to the grocery store and stocking up on things that I really don’t need for a crisis that hasn’t happen yet. If enough people do that than the price of items go up and it creates shortages. Panic is not my friend!

In the end lets all be safe. Lets employ the “commons” common sense, and common curiosity. We all have different risk factors so lets do the things that keep us safe. Like most things in life this will soon be a memory.