The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Although there is not universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919. It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected with this virus. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States.

With no vaccine to protect against influenza infection and no antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections that can be associated with influenza infections, control efforts worldwide were limited to non-pharmaceutical interventions such as isolation, quarantine, good personal hygiene, use of disinfectants, and limitations of public gatherings, which were applied unevenly.

The measures used to contain influenza greatly affected the day-to-day lives of citizens. While some accepted the changes imposed on them, others protested regulations that they considered unfair. Some called for more stringent methods, while others blatantly broke the new rules that were intended to protect them.

Does this sound familiar?

Think about how your life has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. What changes have you been faced with and how have you reacted to them?

What many people fail to accept is that change is good. In fact, change is the one constant in life. After all, if we never changed where would we be? Still living in caves, hunting and fishing for our dinner with no semblance of civilization.

Henry Ford said: “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got.”

While we cannot always control what happens to us or around us we can control how we respond. In order to remain in control, it helps if you have a clear and concise picture in your mind of who you are.

The truth is, we are not taught to think this way which is why so many people ask this question. I will say at this point that the process is not a “quick fix” one. To truly define who you are will take time and even then, the hard work is just beginning because then you have to start living as that person and that will be your biggest change yet!

The first thing you need to identify is what is important to you, in other words what are your values. These are the things that you will not compromise under any circumstances.

When I work with people on this process I give them a list of 100 values and ask them to choose 25 that they feel are important to them. Once they have completed this task I ask them to narrow down this list to just 5 and write down why they feel that these are their core values.

This sounds simple, and it is, but don’t mistake that for thinking that it is easy. You need to spend time thinking about why you feel these values are important to you. This is a break from the conventional thought process where we are taught “what” to think not “how” to think. If you are not sure where to start with this I suggest you think about people that you admire and ask yourself why you admire them. What do they do that you respect and why?

I also ask my clients to give the same list of 100 values to 3/5 people that they know and ask them to do the same exercise based on what they think the client’s values are and why. What this does is show the difference in what you think internally and what others see you as. This exercise can be a tough realization as we often see ourselves as one thing when other people see us as something else.

Once you have all of the lists you should start to identify how these values are displayed in your daily life. Are you living the values or do you merely believe that these are important?

Keep a list of these values somewhere that you will see them every day. You are working to build a habit which means you need to be consistent in what you do. Look at the list in the morning and then before you go to bed write down how you lived these values that day. By doing this you will get a sense of achievement that will keep you moving forward. This may seem like an onerous task to start with but stick with it because eventually it will become automatic.

The key is to always be moving towards something. Once again, this may sound simple but I can assure you that most people spend their time running away from something instead of moving toward something.

Let me explain. When I ask people what they want in their lives they often answer something like:

I don’t want to be poor.
I don’t want to be in a boring 9-5 job
I don’t want to struggle
I don’t know what I want

Here is the truth, if you don’t know what you want you will never get it. It is also true that what you think about you usually get so saying “I don’t want to be poor” is putting an emphasis on the word poor, which means that you will probably be poor. I know this is a little deep but hang in there with me.

Here are some questions to ask yourself that will help you formulate the vision of what you want:

If money were no object, what would I do?
If I knew I couldn’t fail, what would I do?
What activity do I enjoy most that makes me lose track of time?
If I could design my ideal life what would it look and feel like? (Be as detailed as possible with this answer and build on it over time)
What difference do I want to make in the world and why?

I want to emphasize again that this is a new way of thinking and it may seem daunting at first but stick with it, do not give in, and I promise you it will be worth it. I also find it is helpful to work with other people who want to define who they are. This doesn’t mean you use each other’s ideas. It means that you share your thoughts and as a result you will grow together.

Jim Rohn said that we become the average of the 5 people who we associate with the most so I suggest that you choose these people wisely. You are only accountable to yourself on this journey of discovery and growth but it helps to have other people who will encourage you, especially when times get tough – which they will.

Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.

You can connect with me at:

Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.com

Email: Chris@Chris-J-Baker.com

Facebook Group: Developing Tomorrow's Leaders

LinkedIn: Chris Baker

Instagram: Chris J Baker

To purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.

To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership

Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.

Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?

We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.

We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your Bars - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems, visit our website by clicking here.