Before I go too deeply into this post, I want to say with all sincerity that I feel for the world right now… and I am right there in the muck with you. We’re suffering. We’re scared inside. We’re growing numb. Daily routines seem a bit trivial in the face of the unknown; and daily needs aren’t being met… causing priorities to shift. These are strange times indeed.

Lets start with the term ‘viral’. In this day and age, it’s probably more common to think of ‘something going viral’ as something exploding on the internet. But it’s also tipping points; those moments where something has enough momentum to become a wide-spread phenomena. The Coronavirus is doing this in a very literal sense. Our fear is doing it in a very emotional sense. Panic can turn viral just as easily as infection can, and while we can’t seem to control the virus, we have a great deal of control over panic.

I think we can all agree, the Coronavirus is front and center in our minds (and weighs heavy on all our hearts). Something you may not have heard about (I would have missed it. I do my best to avoid prolonged exposure to the news) was the wonderful 5.7 earthquake the Salt Lake valley had last week; early Wednesday morning while we prepared for work. It was absolutely surreal. A big boom. The whole house started shaking like we built the foundation on Jello. And it continued to shake the entire time I was gathering up my family, racing them toward the safest areas… of an old brick house. (Oh… and the aftershocks continue. We’ve felt at least 20. The strongest was 4.6. The last was about 12 hours ago. It’s getting really old.) When the first quake hit, we just couldn’t take it any more; we all wanted to fall down and cry. On top of the Coronavirus… it was too much.

And that is the kind of moment where you break free, in order not to break. A light shines so brightly on your life… you begin to see the details with great clarity. Entitlement shifts toward gratitude. Boredom becomes treasured silence. And the superficial aspects of our lives begin to melt away under their own extraneous heat.

The earthquake was that moment of clarity for me; that moment of sunshine through the dense cloud cover. As weird as it is to say, I needed a 5.7 magnitude shock to the system, to wake me from the slow drowning I was experiencing.

Your experience might not happen this abruptly… but it will happen. The Coronavirus is already effecting every one of us, to some degree; and it’s going to get a lot worse. And… the human psyche can only stretch so far. But therein lies the new viral event; massive awakening. Sometimes we need to be knocked hard to the ground, so we can get up with fresh eyes. Once that happens, there’s no going back to sleep. So watch for that. We will be showered with opportunities.

In the meantime, check in with your personal viral events. Is your head filled with fearful or peaceful thoughts? Are you sitting in front of the news, or on Facebook, getting sucked into the drama? Or are you choosing to prioritize the things that make you happy; being with the ones you love, sharing good times… making music, etc. In short, are you lost to the viral noise of others? Or are you able to keep a clear head in the storm, and become your own voice for love and compassion; a voice with the potential to be so much more infectious. Choose what you want to spread, my friends.

I hope you enjoy my latest creation, ‘Going Viral.’ :)