The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought uncertainty, anxiety, fear, and change.
While everything feels like it changed in an instant, the pandemic has also given each one of us incredible power, an opportunity to pause and reevaluate where we are in life. A period of self-reflection to evolve and grow.
It may be tempting to want to get back a sense of normalcy and ignore this significant moment in our lives. I get it, change is uncomfortable, especially when we are used to living or doing this a particular way for so long. When this is over, many things will go back to normal, but there will also be things that will not look anything like what the pre-pandemic world had to offer.
The pandemic has touched everyone on the planet in some capacity. Some of us got sick with COVID-19, knew someone who had the virus, lost their job or business, or a combination of all of those things.
One thing I am not doing during this pandemic is letting it take away my ability to continue to grow, learn new things, and evolve. I am taking this time to create a vision of what I would like my life to look like when this is all over. I want to be a better person, break old patterns, and serve others. This includes new activities, volunteering more, traveling, and experiencing new cultures.
During the pandemic, I have been learning a new language, (partially) landscaped my backyard, learned new meditation techniques and skills, dated, and took a new course on creative writing. I’m excited because I am just getting started and this list will likely grow in the coming weeks and months.
One of the biggest lessons that I have learned during the pandemic is the reinforced idea that we have no control over anything in the outside world. The only thing we have control over is ourselves and how we respond to both challenges and successes in our lives.
It is also important to remember that this time will pass and we will get through this. Nothing in life is permanent and each day we have the ability to create the life and world we want to live in. We have that power all throughout our lives whether we are experiencing a crisis like a pandemic or not.
Once the pandemic is over, each one of us will have a unique perspective when we look back at 2020 and the health crisis. I hope to look back at this time as a time of self-reflection, growth, and opportunity despite all of the hardship, sorrow, and pain experienced by so many during this time.
What are some things you learned about yourself during the pandemic?
Joe Gullo