It’s in times of big hardship that we learn the most. Everyone has faced the challenges of potential illness, separation from loved ones, and disruption of our oh-so-comfortable routines. And we all, in our unique perspectives, have come away with lessons.
Here I share three of the lessons I’ve learned in the last one and one-half years of the pandemic so far.
No One is an Island
Fiercely independent is a term I have enjoyed indulging in. I love my independence. I thrive on my self-reliance. While I still consider this a good trait, I have become very aware of the importance of community and helping one another in crisis.
We are all connected. There is no grimmer example of this than how one case of Covid has grown to 235,579,484 (as of this writing) cases in the last eighteen months. We get within a minimum of six feet of one another every day, leading to transmission.
Human contact is necessary for our survival. There are very few true hermits in this world. Human connection helps us grow and thrive. We gain knowledge, companionship, and progress through community. We are stronger together than we are apart.
We also suffer when we do not get this valuable component of life. Human touch is so important to our ability to live that we die if we do not get it.
Our lives require us to be in contact with one another. Cherish the ones you love. Hug them (within guidelines) and tell them how much they mean to you.
Life is Unpredictable
So much emphasis has been put on making plans and following through. If you do, you get your heart’s desire. Or so the wisdom goes. I think this is a great truth to live by. But you should also keep in mind that you can’t plan for or control everything. Life throws a kink in the best of plans.
It’s important to remember that life is unpredictable. The best way to cope with this truth is to remain flexible, be grateful for the beauty in it, and remain open to its ways.
The pandemic has upended so much of what we came to rely on. Daily routines have by necessity had to morph to consider so much we used to take advantage of. You must find a way to get through and thrive despite its uncertainty.
We Have Limited Time – Don’t Waste It
It may be a cliché, but life is short. It’s gone before you know it. If you are putting off some important goal or waiting to start something new, you might find you run out of time before you can get to it. Time is something you can’t get back. There is no time like the present to start that project, take that trip, write that novel, or get that degree. Follow your dreams before you’ve run out of opportunity.
Find the hope you need to overcome the woes of the pandemic. If you change your perspective a little, it may teach you valuable lessons from which you may thrive.
Copyright 2021, Monica Nelson
