As a coach and writer, I have taken an unofficial vow to never tell you what to do.  Today, I am breaking that vow.  Stay the f*ck home (if you can).

For those of you in the United States, we have just begun to deal with major disruptions to our everyday lives caused by the coronavirus.  For most of us; schools have been shut, bars and restaurants have been closed, work at home initiatives enacted and our favorite sports leagues postponed.

Here in Maryland, we are on Day #4 of having our 3-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter at home “full-time” as my wife transitions into “home-schooling-super-mom” and I escape to my office.  Things got off to a bumpy start with Day #2 consisting of the following:

• My son yelling and screaming for pretty much the entire day
• My daughter hating my guts after I wouldn’t let her play with some kids outside
• My wife crying twice after our kids failed to listen to her instructions for the 1.2 millionth time
• Me generally feeling like a coward for hiding in my office while my wife gets abused worse than any Substitute Teacher ever

At the end of Day #2 with my kids spending the entire day in the principal’s office, my wife and I were ready to look into other “home-schools” for our kids to transfer to.  If your home-school is accepting transfer students, please send me an application just in case.

No matter how hard it is having the kids at home, we are extremely grateful to have our family, our health, financial stability, and this time with our young children.  My wife and I are proud to self-quarantine and do our part to save lives in this war against the coronavirus.  As a result, we are NOT going to any public place (other than parks (no playgrounds) and with just our family), avoiding all errands unless necessary, and if we absolutely have to be around other people, we are keeping 6 feet of distance between us (including grandparents and neighbors).

I’m not a doctor.  Nor am I an epidemiologist, data scientist, or modeling expert.  I don’t have a Phd in anything.  I’m just a guy who has read some stories from what I deem to be much more knowledgeable people about this situation than I am and what the experts are telling us right now is crystal clear, STAY THE F*CK HOME.

Staying in is hard, because there are no storm clouds outside our windows or people lying in the streets screaming for help, but by doing so we are all saving lives.  If you don’t believe me, read this post that has been viewed nearly 3.3 million times in the past 36 hours.

Still don’t believe me?  Watch and listen to Italians who are currently under military controlled lockdown:

Many of you have already read such stories or seen videos as to why it is imperative, that we all STAY THE F*CK HOME, RIGHT NOW.  However, as this voluntary quarantine continues, you may need additional motivation not to run out and high-five your mailman or give a hug to your neighbor who is a nurse.  As you sit inside your house watching Netflix, here are some future oriented thoughts as to why living through this coronavirus outbreak can be good for our families, communities, and planet.

• Respect and Pay for Teachers – Teachers are either drinking wine all day long through their water bottles or they are selfless and amazing people who deserve all the respect in the world.  How is it even possible to control nearly 30 kids for 6 hours a day? After this “corona containment” is over, I hope teachers get the respect and pay they deserve.

• Mad Respect for Medical Professionals – They take care of us, clean up our bodily fluids, go to college for a really long time and work long hours.  No, I’m not still talking about Teachers, I’m talking about everyone in our hospitals who are putting their own lives on the line to keep our country together. #Heroes
  
• Perspective – This one might be a stretch, but I am hopeful that spending several months at home with our children, cut off from society shows us how good we have it.  Life truly is wonderful and we are so fortunate to be alive during this time. Here’s to hoping this crisis provides more compassion and love for all those in need.
  
• Unification of the Planet – We are all one people, living on one planet.  If this virus has taught us anything it’s how we are all connected.  I am optimistic our future leaders in the Millennial, Z, and Alpha Generations understand this and will do much as they assume “power” to reorient how we live.
  
• National Healthcare System in the US – When the Banking Industry needs help, they turn to the Federal Reserve.  When our hospitals need help, they turn to…oh yeah, they can’t really turn to anyone.  Just like the Department of Homeland Security came about after 9/11, it’s possible a new healthcare entity will be established after this crisis.
  
• Amazing New Businesses & Technology – Every financial downturn brings about growth from entrepreneurship.  I anticipate some incredible new opportunities in the years to come.
  
• More Time for Experts – I got a “D+” in Statistics I and II.  Does that mean I think people who are statistics experts are stupid?  No.  It means they know something a lot better than I do.  Some really smart people with really advanced degrees have been trying to warn us about this threat since January.  People who use math and science to help predict the future deserve our time.

It is often said that the only thing that can bring our planet together is for humanity to have a common enemy like Darth Vader, Predator, or the Aliens from Independence Day.  Maybe the Universe, God, or Mother Earth agrees.  But instead of giving us Aliens, she gave us a virus.

Whatever the case, it’s here and rather than dwell on the freedom it has taken from us, we can imagine the possibilities it will bring for our future. Whether you choose to dwell or look to the future, do it while staying the f*ck home.

---

Author Bio: Dan started Fired and Free in 2017, to provide his “truth” after being fired as CEO of the company he started and led. After a diverse 17-year career in management consulting and entrepreneurship, Dan now leads 3Sixty Leadership, where he provides coaching and consulting to business owners with 5 to 500 employees, helping them to work “on” their business not “in” their business.