What do I prioritize in my life?  Is what’s most important in my life really getting the attention that it deserves?  Are the things that I have been prioritizing really what is important to me?  Now that we are experiencing social distancing, am I finding that my priorities might need an adjustment?

At this moment some of us are figuring out how to slow down to the pace that social distancing requires, others of us are working non-stop to help support the necessary industries that work to sustain us.  Both situations provide opportunities to think about what is really important in our lives, our priorities. 

My family is in the category of adjusting to life slowing down.  During this period we are forced to allow ourselves time to rest.  That does not mean that we as a family are doing nothing.  We have hours to allocate differently than what we normally experience. 

We have the opportunity morning, afternoon, and evening to enhance our well-being and give ourselves much-needed rest and rejuvenation.  Exercise and good nutrition are among my top 5 priorities.  The current state of the nation opens up an opportunity for me to better manage both of those priorities for myself and my family.

I have been reading CURED, by Dr. Jeffery Rediger.  As I was reading chapter 9, Healing Your Identity, he wrote about a woman who had prioritized her work, money, and success over her health and well-being. 

She was diagnosed with what was thought to be an incurable disease.  Dr. Rediger wrote, “How ironic that the things she would prioritize the most seemed now to matter the least.” (p. 268). 

The woman quickly shifted her priorities and took charge of her total self, she adjusted her priorities. “When you change your lens not just on the stressors in your life but on your life itself – and who you are fundamentally – you have the potential to change your health on a much larger scale.” (Rediger, p. 282).   

As I was reading CURED, I continued to wonder if social distancing during the outbreak of COVID-19 would help us better prioritize our lives.  How important are the things that I prioritize currently?  Are the things that I prioritized a week ago the same as what I will prioritize as we walk through this unprecedented time?  

When I get up in the morning my first thought is to thank God for the day.  I am not thinking about my family or my career.  My priority is my faith.  Although I have great room for improvement in how I allocate my time to my priorities, I am first and foremost a servant of God. 

In his book, Dr. Rediger asks, “How will this new version of you see the world? What priorities will you have, what changes will you make in your life to reduce stress and increase Joy?” (p 284).  It is my hope that as I navigate the future, I will take the time and allow myself permission to confirm or redefine my priorities. 

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