It's Marie Forleo and welcome to the Marie Forleo Podcast and MarieTV.

So today's episode is going to be a little bit different than usual and we'll talk more

about that in a few minutes.

But first, if you are looking for some inspiration and you want to hear about some creative ways

that people are managing this new world that we're in right now, stay tuned because I got

great stuff for you.

Also here on Team Forleo, we've come up with a new way for you to get involved with our

show and with the podcast.

So again, keep listening and I'm gonna talk more about that in a few minutes.

But first, if you don't already follow me on Instagram, please go follow me on Instagram.

I'm @marieforleo, so why am I asking you to do this?

You know, right now I've been doing my best to go live a lot more often, to really be

there to support people through this unprecedented time.

A few weeks ago we did a little thing called Self Care Saturday, totally free.

We took people through a virtual workout.

We did a little guided meditation and then we did some awesome Q and A and I'll tell

you the questions were fantastic.

And of course I got more than a few about my hair and I'm like, good Lord, do you guys

still want to know about my hair?

And I was talking to my team about it and I said when I pass, whenever I pass, I think

the only thing on my tombstone is going to be “yes, it was real” because it is now

anyway, if you're watching on YouTube, you know this, but if you're just listening you

might not.

I'm recording from my kitchen here in Los Angeles.

So myself and Josh and Kuma, we are here, we are staying the F home and it has been

a couple of weeks now.

You know we were pretty much early adopters in terms of this new quarantine life and I

am still committed, more committed than ever than doing what I can to flatten that damn

curve.

And I hope that wherever you are in the world that if it's at all possible for you to stay

home, that you're doing that too.

Cause I think it's the right thing.

And speaking of the right thing, I actually want to thank you guys, um, regarding the

feedback from last week's episode, which was with the incredible Gretchen Rubin.

So honestly, my team and I had gone back and forth, you know whether or not we should actually

publish that thing.

We didn't want it to come across as tone deaf since that interview was recorded way before

the coronavirus hit.

And I'm really glad that we made the decision to do that because hundreds of you guys wrote

in and you said how happy you were to have some non-COVID19 content.

So I just want to shout out a few of our community comments right now.

Vee said to us, I woke up a bit bluesy still tinged from an overload of broadcast news

last night, but this lifted me right up, Gretchen and Marie, you've reminded me to focus on

my strengths and unique gifts, the tools that always get me through very much like this

video, which was made at the right time to be used for the right time.

So thank you.

Before that, and this one from Brooks, which I thought was really poignant, she said such

a nice break from COVID19.

I'm an orthopedic physician assistant who just got furloughed.

Our orthopedic practice just let 150 people go.

My kids, age 18 and 15, are home from high school sheltering in place.

The biggest takeaway from this discussion for me and Marie in general, was to take some

time to dream, create, and to enjoy each moment.

Thank you.

So look, y'all, obviously this COVID19 pandemic, it's serious.

I mean, I personally know three people who are sick right now and thankfully they're

all on the mend, so they're doing okay, but so many people are having very different experiences

and I just want to validate that everyone's experience is important.

You know, there's a lot of folks listening and a lot of folks that we know that are scared

and they're anxious and they're stressed out based on their jobs, the economy, their health,

how many people they now have in their home, figuring out how to work from home.

And all of that's understandable.

And from interacting with folks online.

You know, some people are actually grieving right now because sadly they've already lost

people to this disease.

So I just want you to know that if you're in a challenging place, my heart's with you.

I'm sending you so much love.

Myself and Team Forleo, our entire community, we're going to be here doing what we do each

and every week, doing our best to offer you inspiration and motivation and hopefully some

concrete tools that will help you continue to stay strong and move ahead.

And I was thinking about this, you know, I think one of the best ways to really move

forward is to recognize that sometimes the antidote to hopelessness is helpfulness.

I'm going to say that one more time.

The antidote to hopelessness is helpfulness.

What do I mean?

Sometimes taking the attention off of yourself and asking, how can I be of service to other

people right now?

Sometimes that's one of the best things you can do in uncertain times.

And I want to give you two examples from our B-Schoolers.

So if you don't know, B-School is our online business school for modern entrepreneurs who

want to both make money and make a difference.

And those two things are two of my biggest priorities in life, making money and of course

making a difference and making a difference always trumps it.

Now, we've had thousands of students in that program right now and it's incredible because

they're really focused and their ingenuity is off the charts.

So I want to share some stories because they've been really inspiring to me and I think they'll

be inspiring to you.

So this first one is from Ida, so Ida's a writer in Norway, and she shared this story

with us the other day.

She writes, “After finishing the first module of B-School, I realized my children's book

series was my biggest earner and that I should spend more time building a marketing strategy,

not just leave everything to the publisher.”

Yay, Ida!

This is a very good insight.

“When COVID19 hit Norway hard, I realized my ideal customer, a mom with a lot of small

kids and little time to herself, had to stay home with closed schools and preschools.

“What was her biggest dream?

Not a new book for me, but that I came to her home and read a new story to her kids

so she could have 10 minutes of alone time.

So I wrote a new children's story about staying home and being bored, recorded it and shared

it for free if you signed up for it.

Two days later I've gotten over 10,000 signups and 8,000 downloads plus an inbox brimming

with thank you notes from people I have never connected with, but who have bought all my

previous children's books and they all said I gave them what they most wanted.

10 guilt-free minutes in the lavatory while their kids enjoyed literature.

And I've built the email list, I realized I had to build during Module One of B-School,

in less than 24 hours.

Thank you so much for giving me the tools.

All the love, Ida.”

So I have to say, y'all, I have to give her a little reggae air horn.

Because that's friggin' awesome.

Just to put this into context, right?

So she's facing this really difficult situation, as we all are as a global society.

And she asks herself, how can I be of service right now?

How can I use my gifts to make a difference to those I'm meant to serve?

So she took action and not only did she help so many damn parents out there, but she got

10,000 new email subscribers, which for any business of any size, that is a win.

So I wanted to share her story cause I just thought it was awesome.

And it was just an example of what happens when you take the focus off of yourself just

for a minute and say, how can I serve someone else?

This other story is from Emily and, yes, she's a B-Schooler.

So, so you guys know because I'm in the middle of delivering our flagship program, I got

a lot of people that I'm taking care of.

So that's why I got a lot of B-Schooler stories right now.

So Emily, right, listen to this story, she says this, our music school has musical therapy

dogs that work with the kids during their lessons.

We've moved all of our lessons online so the dogs are quote unquote unemployed.

Our public schools have also canceled school for the rest of the year.

So in order to help parents, kids, and the dogs, we set up read to a dog online.

And right now kids from all over the US called in on a Zoom call to read books to our pups.

Adults even called into read because they just needed a mental break from everything

going on.

Everyone had to sign up with their email too.

So I'm slowly growing that email list.

She sent along the cutest picture ever of a little girl reading a book to a dog who's

looking back through an iPad.

And it is like the most adorable thing.

All right.

One more story for you just in hopes that you will find this inspiring of what other

folks are doing creatively amid all of the uncertainty right now.

Again, another B-Schooler, her name is Caryn, she says, “A little B-School win.

I own a company that distributes outdoor fabrics across the world.

Since outdoor cushions isn't exactly on the priority list right now, my company used our

resources and work rooms across the country to start making level two surgical gowns.

Our fabric might even get approved for higher levels.

Not only do we get to provide PPE in this challenging time, but we have the opportunity

to give people work.

“It's not perfect, but a little teamwork and a little creativity can make a difference.

Healthcare is a whole new world for me, but learning this every day is important for how

to serve.

Sending love and light to all.

This, too, shall pass.

Keep the faith.”

And I will tell you once again, I have this amazing picture because she posted it in our

private group of Caryn wearing one of the gowns that she just manufactured using her

outdoor fabric, which is really incredible.

So here's the bottom line, right?

Sometimes the most challenging and unexpected situations bring out the best in us.

I mean, look at these humans, they're becoming more creative, they're more connected to what

really matters.

And I think when we behave in these ways, we grow so much stronger and more resilient

along the way.

Now, if you followed my show for a while, then you know that I have tremendous admiration

and respect for a man named Victor Frankl.

So he wrote the classic man search for meaning, which was about the spiritual and the life

lessons that he learned surviving the Nazi concentration camps during World War II.

And I think one of the biggest lessons that at least I took away from that book is this,

that we don't always get to choose our difficulties in life, but we do get to choose how we respond,

right?

That's key.

None of us get to choose the hardships that come our way, but the grace comes in finding

that space between stimulus and response and who do we want to be in that space?

How do we want to respond?

And I think Victor Frankl has an incredible three-part framework.

We did an earlier episode on this on how to find or create meaning, especially during

times of crisis.

And his framework is the best I've ever found and here's how it goes.

Part one is we find meaning by creating work or doing a deed.

In other words, we figure out some kind of project that requires our skills and our abilities

and our gifts, whatever those may be.

Part two, we find or create meaning through connection, through love, right?

Through connecting with other people.

And even during this time of physical social distancing, we can still stay spiritually

connected.

I can't tell you how many amazing conversations I'm having, deep conversations.

Some of them are with folks on my team, some of them are with colleagues and friends and

just folks I haven't connected with in so long.

And it's been, honestly, a miracle for me.

I feel so incredibly connected on that spiritual basis.

And you know, it doesn't take a lot.

Sometimes it just means picking up the phone and just calling someone and ask them, “Hey,

how you doing?”

You know, I'm FaceTiming people all the time, just going in for it.

I know most of the time or like normal times like, Oh, you should really text first, really

text first.

Nuh-uh.

I'm just going and for it I'm pressing that FaceTime button all the time.

And then part three, and I think this is the most important piece of Frankel's framework.

We find meaning by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering.