As I write this blog, we are in our second winter of the pandemic and closing in on the 1-year mark of when COVID-19 started to impact our lives.

I remember the week leading up to the announcement of restrictions on travel, and our daily habits. I was actually visiting Kingston, part family trip but for the most part a work trip. The work part involved connecting with the wonderful Kingston-based team members that support Find Your Voice Music Therapy’s clients. Little did I know that this would be the end of my quarterly trips to Ontario until… well we still don’t know.

As I am writing this I am not sure what the answers are. In past journal entries I’ve written about caring for self with loving kindness… I thought I had it figured out. I thought I was finding my way. I thought I had finally arrived.

But once again, life feels messy and frustrating. Despite my best efforts to move forward consistently and intentionally, I am now in a place where it feels like two steps forward, one step back on one day and then, one step forward and two steps back on the next.

The holidays often bring a series of emotions. This year may be even more intense as we navigate the transitions and adaptations involved with the pandemic. Feelings of joy, gratitude, calm, excitement, peace, sadness, grief, loss, loneliness, fear. Or any combination of these.

Regardless of whether the holidays naturally nurture your preferred state of being, or not, I invite you to think about how you would like to feel this holiday season.

Having a robust and consistent strategy to building a virtual business network has another significant upside – you will be supporting your mental health and the mental health of those you engage with. As entrepreneurs, we will continue to adapt and find creative ways to thrive, regardless of the challenges ahead.