“Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know” Pema chodron
2020 was everyone’s year. Many of us had great plans for it. Most of us had some degree of that 2020 vision. As “2020” is often associated with vision, it made for a perfect year to unleash all our visionary ideas; start a new business, go back to school, travel the world, change careers, start a family and the list goes on. Not long after it started though some of these visions became blinded by the darkness that was bestowed upon us with the help of corona. The corona virus, as it’s called started in Wuhan city in China. At first when we all heard about it, it was nothing, we ignored it, we made satire of it and we continued with our daily lives.
And like an attention seeker it decided to unleash its beast where we no longer could display ignorance. Like an army prepared for battle, corona was ready for war. It took jobs, it halted the economy, it interrupted social activities and sadly, it took many lives and left homes shattered because loved ones were gone too soon. What was anticipated to be a visionary year is turning out to be quite the opposite. But the question is can we learn from 2020? Is it trying to open our vision to see other things? Is it trying to teach us something? A lesson maybe? By the way, if you are wondering what corona is because you have been living under a rock, click here.
Without a doubt, corona disrupted virtually all human activities the world over – from work to school to hanging out to travelling. I think corona just wanted us to be still, probably the hustle and bustle was just too much, probably we needed to slow things down. Well slow things down it did and it certainly gave us the opportunity to stop and think. Notwithstanding, it also created panic for others. So much so that the products in our supermarkets were cleared out in little to no time after everyone thought we may never see the light of day again. One good thing though (for many of us), the price of gas went down. Well, on the other hand, our tanks were filled and our cars parked up in the driveway because we couldn’t go anywhere, it was “operation stay the f*3k home” While we were saving in one area another was deteriorating, like those mutual funds or stocks and bonds.
I do hope and pray that we resume normality, maybe normal will be different this time around, maybe it will be slower, maybe we will be more appreciative, maybe we will stop looking down on people and just live, maybe we wont take people for granted, maybe we will move closer to God. For a while our spirituality has been wishy-washy. One night we are in the night club and the next day we are asking for forgiveness and all this under the You Only Live Once (YOLO) moto. Well look at what we are experiencing. And of course there may not be any scientific evidence to substantiate that the earth needs to slow down, but this world in itself is a mystery and there may also not be any scientific evidence that proves the opposite either. That being said, here are 5 lessons I believe we should take from corona being on the loose.
1. Don’t take people and things for granted
We often go about about our day subconsciously just doing things that we have formed a habit of, bad or good. We often don’t stop to look at the things we are doing and how we could be hurting someone feelings. After all we live in a very fast paced society, everything is go, go, go, get out my way. We end up missing a lot of things along the way. Like the fact that your spouse coloured their hair, but you were too busy to notice. Or your spouse is right beside you but you are so consumed with what’s happening on your phone you fail to hear what they are saying. Or your friend who is begging to see you but you are always too busy. Now with Corona still on the loose, you might want to visit your family and friends but you have to stay the f*3K home. Corona also ensured you stayed in quarantine with the same person you may have been taking for granted. Now you may learn to appreciate them. What about coworkers, did you miss them?
I know sometimes we go to work and we don’t associate much with our coworkers because they are not our families or close friends. I am sure you miss them now. What about work, the place you complained about going to day after day. And then one day you stopped getting paid because you were complaining about quitting and corona landed you the opportunity, albeit against your will. As we move forward and we catch up with Corona, try to enjoy the simple things in life because you never know when they will be snatched away from us. Take no one or nothing for granted because corona took the lives of many people who might I say did not even get a proper send-off from this world. And for the living, our freedom is currently stifling. Similarly, as we have seen, the victims of Corona died alone with no one to celebrate their lives. What a horrible way to leave this earth. Appreciate one another and try your very best to take no one or nothing for granted.
2. There is a higher power – Get in touch. Stay in touch
We have many variations of believers living amongst us. Some believe there is a God, some believe one day and another they don’t, some believe in many Gods and others don’t believe at all. One thing for sure though, when difficult times arises, everyone becomes a believer. All of a sudden the atheist is asking for mercy and forgiveness. Why is this though? Why do so many people remember God only when they are faced with hardships and struggles? My best guess is as the imperfect humans that we are, sometimes we fail to see things when events and occurrences in our lives are going really well. We are so focused on maintaining it that we often forgot that it was through a higher power that this goodness was granted. All I can say is corona has definitely brought more people to God. It has open our minds to realizing that we are powerless even with billions of dollars. Too long we have been associating money with power, Warren buffet can’t save you now, he is running from the virus too. He is probably underground in one of those million dollar bunkers I’ve been reading about. The truth is, you can run but you can’t hide from God.
This world, for a long while has been sinful to say the least. We love money and we praise and worship those who possess lots of it. We place celebrities on pedestals and live by whatever fuc*ery they propose. For a while, a long while, I feel that the rich and famous thought they were God. And it’s not entirely their fault as working class people have made them feel that way. I am not saying that you shouldn’t acknowledge and allow people to inspire you, but they should never replace God, never. Allow corona to be a sign for you to draw nearer to God. You can start by praying and giving thanks. The prayer doesn’t have to be long, it will get long with time. Read your Bible, Quran or other religious books you hold dear. Participate in fasting. Treat people well and try your humanly best to live a life filled with positivity. Do these things regularly, preferably everyday so when you are confronted with hard times, your spirituality will carry you through. So the fact remains, corona reminded us that there is a God (higher power) and we must get in touch and keep in touch. Don’t solely get in touch when you require a favor but also when you require nothing. Always remember God and be thankful.
3. It’s time to slow down
Life has become so fast paced, you get up in the morning and before you know it you are at work, ready to take on the day. Most times we don’t even have time to prepare a proper breakfast so we use the little money that we have to pay someone to prepare it for us, a.k.a McDonald’s, Tim Hortons, Second Cup etc. I’m not saying you should not support businesses because they were able to come up with an idea that may be beneficial to your situation. But we drive fast, we talk fast, we want our meals to be prepared fast and we eat it even faster. We have become so addicted to fast that we have forgotten how to take it easy. Even the technological devices that have been created to help us save time and slow down have become a major distraction and have aided in focusing our attention in areas that is not always conducive to taking it easy. So since we are addicted to fast corona has arrived with its own form of intervention to slow us down. And this is not a bad thing (not corona, corona is terrible) as it has literally put the world at a stand still.
We are now forced to slow things down and reflect. Although, I’m not sure if one can truly reflect in the midst of what is happening. Nevertheless, you can now take the time to enjoy every moment, sleeping in, watching movies with the the family, cooking as a team, rather than just mommy in the kitchen doing it all. You can now take the time to slow down. Now don’t misinterpret what I am saying. Corona has given us the opportunity to slow down, but it came at a cost no one was willing to pay. As such, while some of us have learned to slow down, we would give it up in a second to return to how it was before. But since our reality places us in the midst of chaos and turmoil, we must try to remain hopeful as this too shall pass. While you slow things down, take the time to learn a new skill, start a blog or learn to play an instrument. And while you do all this, remember to stay strong, we are journeying through some rough waters and in the words of MLK Jr, “we must accept infinite disappointments but we must never lose infinite hope”
4. Respect everyone
Now that we are going through a pandemic, most places are being ordered to close as they are not essential. So what’s opening apart from the hospitals, fire station, police station, some airports and paramedics? The grocery store, the restaurants, places where you actually buy food for sustenance. These are the people who are coming to work each day to ensure that you don’t starve. Now they are not the highest paid people amongst us but they are playing a vital role in ensuring that you, I repeat, don’t starve. Prior to corona, I have seen many times where these same workers are spoken to as if they are not humans just because you feel you have a better job, not even realizing that someone has to do it. Good, it’s not you but that does not mean you have to be disrespectful. Since you don’t want to do it, at the very least be thankful that someone is willing to do it.
Similarly, I really hope that there will be sufficient food come fall because if corona continues to be on the loose, farmers who usually come from the Caribbean or South America to ensure that you have food on your dinner table may not be able to. Yes, Canada and America, let’s be honest here, most of the foods you eat is not grown by you. Someone else leaves their country to do it because you are not willing to get your hands dirty. So while you go about your business, and while you may feel overwhelmed with what’s going on remember to respect everyone as some of the people that have been disrespected for years because they work in low paying jobs, are the ones now holding us up. Don’t ever forget that. A gigantic thank you to all healthcare workers who work feverishly to save lives and save the economy. We can’t do it without you and you will always be in my prayers.
5. Be clean
To say the least, if you weren’t a clean person before, well corona has left you no choice but to buckle up and be clean or ignore it and never be seen. To fight back at this disease, cleanliness is a must. So if you are like my co-worker in my previous blog then you are in for a rude awakening. Remember wash your hands, clean down surfaces with Lysol, wash and/or sanitize your foods when you bring them home from the grocery stores. They say that corona can live up to 28 days in your fridge, so whatever you store in there, ensure that its washed and/or sanitized. Just be clean, It’s always a good thing. Because you will be washing your hands often, keep them nice and smooth with 100% pure products.
Choose hope, brighter days are ahead
We often don’t forget bad times and for that reason 2020 will be in our memories forever. We will remember that on December 31 2019, we made great plans, out loud and in our hearts about changes that need to take place in our lives. You will remember how happy you were on January 01, 2020, you were ready to put your vision into full gear. But not long after corona came in like a thief in the night with the intention to steal your vision, to make you blind, it even put some to sleep. We will never forget these things. As I write this Italy and Spain are being crippled, The US has the highest number of cases and deaths and thankfully Canada, where I am is trying its best to flatten the curve.
And while this is all taking place, China has pretty much resume normalcy with a bit of tweaking and is now making supplies for the world. So while the world’s economy slows, China has gotten a head start. It’s a big head start too, it’s like giving Usain Bolt a head start, you will never catch him. And while we wait for brighter days to come for that blue sky to reveal itself and the sun to start shining, let 2020 be a reminder that you should not take anyone for granted, when everything seems hopeless trust in God/higher power, slow down a little, respect everyone and be a nice clean human being. And since 2020 is not over yet I pray that it will surprise us once more, except this time it will be pleasant. Until next time my friends, keep calm, stay strong and blog on.
OMG…You nailed it…This was a good read…I really hope brighter are ahead
Same here…When it rains, it really pours…
This was such a great read! This may be the reality check that we all needed, just sad it had to be from something this extreme.
I completely agree with you Melanee. I am left with wondering, were we that bad?
A great read for stressful times. Focusing on the good does so much for peace of mind.
Thanks. Peace of mind is vital in these times
Very nice read. One of the best blog site I have come across. I am really hoping for brighter days and for the sun to start shining again. I really hope that we will all be ok at the end of all this. It has been a crazy ride. Dealing with this virus is like being on a roller coaster. When it starts of you are ok but as time passes on it you just want it to be over and then you get off and say i never want to experience that again.
LOL..That is how I feel on a bad roller coaster ride. Never again
Yes, so yes! I don’t think corona happens to teach us a lesson or five, but it does do that anyway.
Astrid would like you to read…Understanding and Dealing with Anger #AtoZChallenge
Yes, you’re right. Nothing really occur with the intention to teach us lessons. We just learned from them simply because of the ability to understand and realize that something may be missing.
Wow! Best blog I’ve read all day. Great job!
Thank you so much.