Most of us can recognize good leadership when we see it. The past few weeks world leaders grappled for the right and timely decisions. There was no perfect plan. But inaction was worse.

While our circumstances change very little these days, our emotions experience an erratic rollercoaster. Alas, every day is in our power to choose hope. Choose courage. Choose peace.

And as I practice with our best & current life trainers, our kids, we ought to admit the broad range of emotions. Even and especially the unpleasant ones. It’s quite freeing. It’s not about giving in our emotions: our fear, our frustration, our selfishness. We can be quite proud and stubborn. But he who can control himself, could lead the would.

So instead, we exercise restraint, humility, patience. Because is it so tempting to give in our irritability or despair.

When you name it, you feel it and it moves through you. Emotions need motion.

It is one thing to recognize the emotions, to allow yourself to feel them, and then to let them naturally go… and it is another to wallow in them, because we can’t quite get a grip or we don’t have a map to navigate them. We don’t have a goal in mind.

We are all leaders, leaders in our little family. We are reliable partners of our spouse. How do we respond in a crisis situation? Do we act swiftly and wisely, while keeping our composure?

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After a month of apparent Spring, as the world entered into quarantine, Winter returned in full force. I’ve been a busy body – I painted the walls, I sorted empty jars, I sorted clothes, I cleaned up the pantry… but I couldn’t quite focus on reading for pleasure. I’m getting there. It matters a lot how we start the day. Not reading the news first thing. Instead read an encouraging book, meditate, plan for the day.

We ought to filter what goes in, and what we talk about with our family and friends. Kids are a great barometer of hope or frustration in every household.