People have their ways of staying organized, what works best for me is using a highschool planner. It sounds weird. But it works. For the first time in a long time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my planner is full of absolutely nothing. As of today, I am going to write down daily goals to find accomplishments to maintain the right balance of mental and physical health. People say writing down goals is the first step in achieving them, and not many people actually do it. I realized this morning that I need to continue to do it to keep that habit. 

Usually, my highschool planner is filled with appointments, tasks, and advertising portfolio work. For two years, I’ve worked on my advertising portfolio to obtain a job in advertising, putting my blogging on hiatus. Right now, I am placing portfolio work on hold as I’m trying to work with art directors to polish it finally. Now, I can go back to doing what I love the most, which is journaling.

Now, my goals for the days to come will look something like this:

1. Write 300 – 500 words.
2. Read.
3. Leisurely activities. 
4. Work out.
5. Walk Cooper.
6. Cook and clean.

Writing down my goals keeps me sane, and it is a good habit to have during the times of imprisoned isolation. You see, we have the freedom to do what we want while we are trapped in our homes. It is quite the catch 22 and is quite similar to how prisoners feel in certain aspects. 

When Franco was king of Spain, everyone was afraid, and when he died in 1975, everyone went absolutely berzerk. 

We have the opportunity to explore new avenues, re-evaluate our life goals and ambitions, and to do new things such as playing chess. I can finally fix that lighting fixture and paint a hockey goalie mask. 

I’m trying to figure out how to find a balance of interests with my fiance, how to stay busy, how to keep good habits and to keep in contact with close friends and relatives. 

My late grandfather baked bread until his late 70 because it gave him a purpose. Maybe I’ll finish one of my three books, whatever it is, we all need to find some bread to bake right now to keep us moving forward. 

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing to create more content, you can make a donation to my Venmo. 

My late Grandmother grew up in the Great Depression. She always told me about how she would keep twisty ties, glass bottles, and save everything, including bacon grease, to prevent being wasteful. Will habits like this become the new normal when the world restarts again?

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing everyone, which is why I am pondering how the world will change as it is going through its rebirth. What will the new “normal” be? Am I the only one who is suffering from a slight delusional paranoia? I don’t know the answers to any of these questions. Hence why I need to talk or write it all out.

We are in a crisis of humanity versus capitalism, trying to prevent mass human annihilation and the most significant global recession. Which one would you rather have? I choose life every time.

I am trying to stay positive and healthy by writing every day, exercising, and taking care of things that I’d never had time for, such as fixing my laptop charger. Yesterday, I wrote about staying positive because the “greater is coming.” Sheesh, it’s so damn hard to keep that keen sense of optimism at times. Then later that night, a phantom started creeping into my head, terrifying me about the future of our human existence.

When my fiance and I are walking our dog around the lake, hordes of people are passing by, further terrifying me that the virus is spreading. This caused me to call the COVID-19 Minnesota hotline (651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903) to ask if it is safe to walk outside with my dog. The verdict: Stay six feet away from people. Yes, that is nearly impossible when Lake of the Isles is a sardine-packed night club.

People are utilizing their resources because if fitness centers aren’t open, then it causes a chain reaction to go for runs around the lake and doing at-home workouts.

Being resourceful is a major skill of mine, and I am taking it to the next level for probably no apparent reason other than the fear we may be living in at the moment. I’m rewashing zip lock bags for reuse when I run out, measuring my laundry detergent, washing bigger dishware by hand using one or two drops of dish soap, and I am finding every way to be resourceful. The extreme hit me when my vegetables were going to expire in a day; therefore, I resorted to pickling them.

To me, pickling vegetables is a sign of fear of oppression. Is anyone acting this way out of a slight fear lurking in the back of their minds?

Take your index finger and move it as close to your thumb as possible without touching. Maybe I’m going a little crazy? But, aren’t we all having our moments of going “cuckoo” right now? I may be overthinking this, but I’m not the only one.

I’m glued to my TV, whether it is binging HULU, doing barre classes, or watching the news. I am even pursuing my faith more seriously by reading a book called “Jesus Calling.” Of those, exercising is the best way to pass the time.

COVID-19 could change my normal social behavior. For instance, when walking on the sidewalk, I’m turning my head to the right when someone passes by. Believe me; I’m not the only one who is doing this. Can you believe that I haven’t been smiling and saying hello to that person? How un-Minnesotan like is that?

Hoarding, home workouts, working from home, cooking for ourselves, and talking to others on the phone or FaceTime are becoming trending human habits. COVID-19 is resetting the world.

Quarantine, social distance, wash your hands and cover your mouth. Be vigilant and get your groceries through delivery apps. Only leave the house if you have to, and stay away from older people. These are the little changes we have to make, but even those can’t cure the darkness of isolation or COVID-19. But, it can get us through it, and it can be just enough to slow things down.

Hopefully, our government will stop making this a political issue and realize we need to make this a health issue and let health officials have full control of their actions.

All we can do is to pray and to make those little changes.

There has got to be some good that will come out of this. I don’t know what the reset button will be like when it activates for our world, but I hope it will be one for the greater.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing to create more content, you can make a donation to my Venmo. 

Being frustrated, asking questions of “why is this happening to me,” and screaming at the top of our lungs when no one is listening is so damn easy. Emotional content is a vital sign of a healthy mind, and if we stomp our feet, it just detriments our minds if we continue to ask “why,” we will continue to be frustrated.

We should not waste our time right now being frustrated because it just adds fuel to our frustration during this COVID-19 fiasco. We need to channel it into positive energy, keep doing our part to stay and keep others safe. Most importantly, figure out new ways to keep our morale high in such low times.

If we are proactive, the reactive will be positive. The secret to getting through this is to find some way to release a positive force to find new ways to create a good attitude.

Adding stress by pouting about our circumstances of quarantine will lower our immune systems. Stay positive because when the glass is half full, you can put lemonade powder and ice in it, making a better-tasting full glass of refreshingness.

My fiance and I have put our energy into cooking, finding faith, DIY projects, and trying to find fun things to do. The number one thing we are doing is working out in front of our TV, doing barre classes, and yoga. We plan to do even more things like jigsaw puzzles and to get to other things that we have been putting off.

We love to make dry rub wings, watch the Vikings, and take football naps. It isn’t even football season. It may sound crazy, but we love doing those things, and we watched Randy Moss’ famous Thanksgiving Day game from 1998, which I vaguely remember as a kindergartener. But, recreating NFL Sunday’s was a blast, keeping our spirits high.

My fiance and I are going to create a dinner and movie night, where we get dressed up nice and order take out. We will light candles and drink beer from pint glasses, overall creating a fancy date night all from the comfort of our own home.

This is a time to use our imagination, making the best of what we have.

If we can go through life with a positive attitude, perseverance, and fairly good problem solving towards our salvation, then the greater good will come.

In times like this, we need to believe the greater good will come. But, it only comes with a positive attitude, as a paralyzed athlete once said, “The greatest disability in life is a bad attitude.”

Remember, when you point your finger at the moon, don’t focus on the finger. You will miss the beauty of what is the “great beyond.” Yes, I just totally ripped off Bruce Lee. This is why emotional content is the key to our survival right now.

The best is yet to come. We have to ride out this wave of terror, and if we’re going to do this, let’s do it smiling.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing to create more content, you can make a donation to my Venmo. 

A young child asked his father, “Why is Uncle Billy so fat?” The father paused for a moment. He could have said because he loved to sit on the couch and eat Cheetos all day, considering it was the truth, but he found this as an excellent opportunity to impart a life lesson.

“Son, Billy used to be skinny. But, he loved people so much, and so every time he met a new person, his heart grew a little more. The more people he met, he grew bigger and bigger.”

This father was not my dad. This anecdote was Russell Crowe in a movie called, “Mystery Alaska.” Albeit, the exact monologue isn’t correct, but the point is that Billy or Bailey ( I can’t remember the character’s name) loved people.

I love people. I love socializing, laughing, and being around people. Being a bartender is a job that I hate. Seriously, it is the worst. The only part I like about it is to talk to people.

My friends and family, I miss them. Being quarantined is difficult because there is a lack of social interaction via social distancing. I am so thankful that I have my fiance, Kaley, and our two pets to spend this challenging time with each other. But, being less than three feet away from one person 24/7 brings challenges. I know couples who are trying to find ways to stay sane with each other, and me and my beautiful other half are doing a great job thus far.

Reminding myself that people excite me has boosted my morale today. So, what is one thing that truly and profoundly excites you?

Being a macro thinker, I believe the COVID-19 social distancing sensation will change world culture, social interactions, and how we operate. With delivery apps, Facetime, and abilities to be present without being present, we can function differently. If this craziness continues, we will find realizations that staying in and cooking for ourselves, playing board games, doing yoga in front of our TV’s, and getting online degrees could make more sense.

The fear of this crisis could create human habits that could change us forever.

Putting my crazy thoughts aside, I miss being around people, and this quarantine is taking that away from me.

I realized this when I talk to my parents or my fiance’s parents on the phone. I miss going to see them, and it kills me that I can’t because I don’t want to infect them with a possible virus without knowing it.

Billy or Bailey’s heart grew every time he saw a person, and I resonate with that. My heart is so big for people that it hurts that I can’t be around them, and the only thing keeping me going is my fiance because I get to be with her.

Let’s be hopeful this ends soon because I don’t want my heart to shrink. Facetime your friends, call your loved ones, and text people that you haven’t talked to for a long time. Trust me, knowing that people are stocked up with supplies, and safe will bring comfort to you in times of discomfort.

To my friends and family, I hope you are all safe and that I can see you soon before my heart starts to shrink.

 

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing to create more content, you can make a donation to my Venmo. 

The definition of “Spero” is to want something to happen, with the expectation that it might, otherwise known as the Latin translation for “hope.”The magic number is 284, representing the number of times where I have failed in the last three years in a specific category of pursuit in my life. Despite being kicked while I got knocked down so many times, one thing kept me going: hope.

COVID-19 is bringing everyone down. This is a reminder to persevere and to find hope. Right now, we are all prisoners to our own devices, and we are all in a crisis. Therefore we need to find a way to keep moving forward.

So, what is hope for me?

It’s a white bird that flies across the sky when all you see is the clouds.

My uncanny sense of optimism and passion for it has always provided me hope. I cannot lose that in such times of realism.

It’s the penny that you pick up from the sidewalk and putting it in your pocket that makes you smile, thinking you’re one cent richer.

Whenever I take out the recycling and flatten the boxes for the bin, I have a sense of hope that I’m doing something right for the environment.

It’s the bad cat sitting next to you when you least expect it, and the fear of him/her attacking you. But, when it sits in your lap and starts purring, just knowing it is your friend will raise both of your eyebrows.

The narrative of professional sports gets me going.

Opening the shutters after a storm, raising the masts, and seeing the sunshine gives a sense of relief that we survived the storm.

The lyrics of Frank Turner gives me light. “We’re not just saving lives; we’re saving souls, we’re having fun!”

A robot vacuum that I own that does the work for me while I write this excerpt about my life gives me hope. Along with the dishwasher, laundry machine, and my dog, who licks up the scraps on my floor so I can try to write something super insightful. Keyword: try. Or is this just being thankful for creatures of comfort?

Having food, shelter, and the excellent company keeps me optimistic as well.

The perpetual pursuit of faith keeps me going. I’ve always believed that someday I’d go to church or study religion seriously. In this time of COVID-19, I have enough time to explore these avenues.

Knowing my friends are okay.

Discovering the definition of what balance of physical and mental health is and what it means to me.

The priority of keeping my mindset, ambitions, and relationships healthy will give me the hopefulness to be happy.

I love having eggs, bacon, and toast in the morning. Every time I start my day with some variation of a good breakfast, I know I’ll have the strength to start the day.

Everything I may have written would have meant what it is to be thankful. I’m venting on what is on my mind at this very moment.

There doesn’t need to be any deep thought to this for me to say, “hope is finding brightness in the darkest days.”

What I say at the moment doesn’t have to be insightful or philosophical.

I keep it light by saying that hope for me is to see the Minnesota Vikings play in the fall, only to let me down in January, all again to do it the next year. The worst part of this is that this is just what excites me when I think about it. What is even worse is that this sensation may not happen this fall due to this hysteria happening.

I’m a scatterbrain writer, and it helps me organize my life. I write to survive; therefore, the power of pen and paper gives me hope. I believe that it gives me the power to manifest my future.

Hope is something to look forward to like when the sunrises every morning. There was a time in my life where I’d occasionally wake up to watch it rise.

During this quarantine, please remember to recollect what you think hope is. Don’t think too hard; spit things out.

It has helped me a lot just by expressing what it means to me.

 

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing to create more content, you can make a donation to my Venmo. 

Happiness is the small tiny piece of tart strawberry rhubarb pie. It’s the best piece in the big delectable pie of enlightenment. In times of bedlam, we get hysterical, paranoid, and just get disinformed. We can control the things that we can, and we forget about how to take care of ourselves.

To note, we forget what makes us happy.

Happiness is hot Cheetos at the lake on a hot summer day.

Pancakes make me happy. But, making pancakes for Kaley makes me happier.

Whenever my dog Cooper finds me in the kitchen, only to discover that I’m just putting the dishes away. That makes me happy.

I like going for long walks along the lakes with her and Cooper, talking about cat strollers and wanting to eat Halloween candy.

Being in rhythm with you makes me happy.

Having a rhythm with life makes me happy.

We can all find some sort of “happy” right now.

It’s the only thing we can do other than pray.

Pistachios and a piping hot bowl of pho. Not together, but for separate reasons of indulgence.

What makes me happy? Little miracles. Smiles from strangers. Yeah, its what we do in Minnesota. Smile during the darkest winters, and say “sorry” to each other for unnecessary reasons.

Being from the North makes me happy. There is a sense of community here that is beyond any other in the US.

These are just somethings that make me grin.

Driving Kaley’s car is really fun too. Damn.

Going to Target for no reason. That is cool too.

Toasting crispy Banh mi’s for you and me. Never get’s old.

Watching hockey or any sports and then hearing the door open as you come home. It gets me so excited that I forget what I’m watching.

I’m also a big fan of cue tips—white ones and not pink ones. The white ones are the best.

Flossing makes me happy for some reason.

Talking to my parents on the phone frequently is something that I appreciate. It may be stressful for me at times, but I have a relationship with them, and they love me. This is something that I remind myself that I’m happy about whenever I hang up with them.

Al Michaels’ voice. Mark Rosen on the radio. Lebron James, for some reason.

Creating something and finishing it. One time, Kaley and I ripped out the lighting in our ceiling and installed a new lighting fixture. Handy DIY work is the best sense of accomplishment.

Tearing ice while playing hockey from doing a spinorama, then throwing a backhand top cheese bar down top tits. Celly celly celly. Even if its at the park against people who’ve never played hockey before.

My sister makes me happy. She is just the best. She made me tamales for this quarantine, and I gave her toilet paper. It’s been a good trade.

The way you get excited for Tennessee hot chicken.

I think Kaley just makes me happy. Yup. Good thing that I’m marrying her.

Doughnuts from Bogart’s. I always like buying them and then handing them out to random people. It’s so much fun.

There is this video on my phone where Marty McFly, my kitty cat, is playing with my pizza trying to eat it. Hilarious, right? My cat loves pizza, and so do I.

Kitty cat makes me happy. I didn’t know that adopting a pet was considered “rescuing.” That makes my heart warm.

This was a good thing to do. Think for 20 minutes of what makes you happy. We are so focused on this COVID-19, going bananas over something we can’t control. If we go crazy, then humanity will lose.

Try to think of what makes you happy.

I hope this will help someone get out of their funk.

Remember, hitting a home run off of a breaking curveball always leads to a massive upper deck home run.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing to create more content, you can make a donation to my Venmo.