IMMUNITY LESSON 02- Challenges and Solutions

IMMUNITY LESSON 2
Challenges and Solutions

First Step

Realize that the pandemic and crisis will not be over in the near future. It may diminish for a while but will likely exacerbate as people let their guard down in the next month or so. And it may likely return in the Fall as flu season returns.

Simply, we need to acknowledge the seriousness of our situation and balance our optimism that we will survive with realism that we are in this for the long haul and we need to take responsibility for our own physical and psychological well-being.

This is a challenge in of itself. How do we begin to best address this challenge? Two great examples come to mind:

• VICTOR FRANKL, who endured the horrors of a World War II concentration camp, in a quote from his classic Man’s Search for Meaning: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” We can choose how we respond to any crisis or challenge. Let’s all choose to respond to this coronavirus predicament rationally and courageously.
• VICE ADMIRAL JAMES STOCKDALE was the de facto commanding officer of a brutal North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp. He reported that the POWs who were pure optimists and relied only on hope did not make it out. Others who never lost their optimism that they would prevail in the end — but maintained the discipline to confront reality that it was going to be a long, difficult journey — did survive. This became known as the Stockdale Paradox. It pairs optimism with a healthy dose of reality and courage to endure the challenge. And, it works. It is taught in business courses worldwide.

The coronavirus situation is not a POW camp by any means, but it does have us confined, there is an unknown future, we are seriously challenged, and we are sacrificing parts of our life. Our challenge is not only to survive this period of time to look back upon this historical event, but to help ourselves and others survive the pandemic crisis as physically and emotionally fit as possible for the New Normal that is lurking around the corner.

This concept of optimistically approaching a challenge while being grounded in reality is covered in more detail in our “Habit Change Made Simple” lesson to come, BTW.

That is our challenge: To step up and be a hero for ourselves and others. We need to be a hero for ourselves first. That is the first step.

It won’t be “easy.” There simply is no silver bullet or magical pill. But it can be a simple, time-efficient, and effective process. And it will not cost more than a small sliver of your time. We just need to commit to being better for now, reading the materials, and putting some/most of the strategies into action.

That is our challenge: To step up and be a hero for ourselves and others. We need to be a hero for ourselves first.

That is the first step.

It won’t be “easy.” There simply is no silver bullet or magical pill. But it can be a simple, time-efficient, and effective process. And it will not cost more than a small sliver of your time. We just need to commit to being better for now, reading the materials, and putting some/most of the strategies into action.

Second Step

Be proactive in aggressively implementing our First Line of Defense initially. Once that is solidly in place, turn our attention to our Second Line of Defense and reinforce our internal army with better training, new tools and weapons, and a new resilience.This cannot be done overnight, nor can it be done with a magic pill or a single strategy. It will take multiple different strategies in multiple different areas. It will also take a commitment to improve our overall health and immune system while working to limit the stress that detracts from our enjoyment of life.

• Be committed to implementing both the first and second lines of defense.
• Follow the suggestions in the 2nd Line of Defense updates.
• Jump start your path to reinforcing your immune system with the strategies and how-to’s in the Simple Scientific Strategies eBook.
• Utilize the structured three-week daily lessons: Enhanced Immunity and Reduced Stress. These are the logistical and practical tools (and weapons) your internal army will use to become stronger.

Third Step

To borrow a very pertinent slogan, “Just Do It!”

You’ll find the Habit Change Made Simple lesson — and other implementation strategies that we will tee up — easy to follow and practice.

This may not all sink in all at once, and that’s fine. You will try things and you may not get them right the first time, and that, too, is okay. It will be the continual engagement and working toward the goals that will give you the greatest success. One step at a time on the right path.