Right now, we are dealing with the aftermath of what has been a difficult couple of months and we have choices that we need to make. COVID-19 has taken us all by surprise and shaken up reality as we know it. A lot of us have been separated from our family and friends, we have been worrying about our health and the health of our loved ones, and we have been worrying about the future of the economy and perhaps our own financial situation. Lastly, unfortunately, a lot of us have lost loved ones as a consequence of this pandemic. However, not all hope is lost and our future will depend on the choices that we make right now. We should not grow weary at a time like this but we should learn from the tragedies and the difficulties that have occurred in the past few months and seek to create a brighter future not only for ourselves but for our loved ones and for the generations to come.
While in the eye of the storm, it is often difficult and even taxing to try to stay positive. However, we as humans need to practice being optimistic in order to survive – while it may not always be our nature, in the midst of all the chaos, it’s the best defense we have. We have to believe the future will be better even when things look bleak. The next thing we need to do is think about what concrete steps you will take to make the future better and we need to think about how we can protect our loved ones and our communities in the future. Develop a plan to protect yourself and those around you. For now, something we can do concretely is make sure we are keeping up to the highest hygiene standards possible in order to prevent more outbreaks. We want to make sure we can keep our loved ones with us as long as possible and not overwhelm our hospitals.
If it’s within your means, now is the time to show generosity and empathy and help those in our community that may need it. It is truly incredible how a simple act of kindness can lift our own spirits while also helping benefiting others in need – an act of kindness will always be a win-win situation. If you are someone who is struggling as a result of the pandemic, whether that be physically, mentally or financially, there is no need to feel ashamed and there is no shame in seeking help and using the resources that may be available to you. You are not less deserving of love or help because of your situation. Realize that you will not always be in control of what happens to you but you are in control of how you react and that each difficult moment you go through will only make you stronger, even if you don’t see it right now. Take this time to develop coping skills, research what resources are available to you, find out how you can help your communities, and make your plan for a better future.
