Welcome to episode 2 of a series of 4 podcasts on How To Thrive In Challenging Times. This episode is called Thriving Blindness I share how so many people are felling out of control right now? We are in the midst of an unprecedented set of circumstances: a pandemic which is claiming thousands of lives every day; shortages of basic food and products; schools and public places close; government restrictions on our movement… If someone had described that scenario to you a year ago, you’d have thought it was the plot of some disaster movie. Yet here we are. Locked down, surrounded by fear and uncertainty and being asked to act in ways that are really unfamiliar to us. No wonder we feel out of control. Are you blind to the truth? We may not have control over our circumstances at the moment but, actually, did we ever? There have always been outside factors which have come along and challenged us in our lives. I certainly have! We may have felt we were in control but that’s a form of blindness. The majority of us suffer from this blinkered view of life and the impact it has on us is massive. We believe we have mastery over life because we haven’t anticipated what might go wrong. So, blind to the consequences of our actions, we live a life of ‘now’ and not one preparing us for obstacles ahead. We eat quick and easy processed foods – blind to the impact it has on our immunity We do the bare minimum of exercise – blind to how we are depleting our body’s natural defences We take our relationships for granted – blind to the need to take care of the people around us We continue in the job we don’t really like – blind to the impact this is having on our life and those of the people around us. This may sound harsh but this selective blindness – this detachment for taking ownership of our circumstances – has lefts us vulnerable to the virus that is now spreading across the world and claiming so many lives. Can you see your own potential? In the last podcast I spoke about courage. Now, I want you to draw on that courage to the most difficult thing in you life.  To have the courage to be the person you are really capable of being. To see what you need to do to really thrive and live the life you were meant to live. To open your eyes to the actions you need to take now which will prepare you for the challenges that life will throw in your direction. To do the things you need to do every day, even if you don’t feel like it. You do have control You may feel like you are out of control of your life right now. However, there are only two things that have ever been yours to control: How you think and how you feel. Thanks for listening and before you go I want to invite you to join the Mi365 Kickstart Facebook page. Mi365 is The World’s Most Dynamic & Supportive Coaching Experience for people that want to be inspired and liberated to go from living a life by chance to an extraordinary life by design. If you want to find the courage to hope in a community of people who are also seeking to leave a legacy from this time, join my FREE Facebook group called Mi365 With Pete Cohen https://www.facebook.com/groups/223961357935535/ Subscribe to our newsletter  https://coaching.petecohen.com/podcast-free-group  Follow me on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/petecohen_/ About Pete Cohen: Pete Cohen is one of the world’s leading life coaches and keynote speakers. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world have been motivated and inspired by Pete’s presentations. He has professionally impacted on the lives of thousands of people worldwide, including business executives, professional athletes and the everyday person.  Pete focuses on the importance of closing the gap in our lives between where we are and where we want to be both personally and professionally. It’s then all about coaching you to remove the obstacles that are in your way and helping you install the habits of success.  He is the author of 19 published books, several of which have