The pandemic has been a blessing in disguise.
Let me explain.
The pandemic has brought terrible circumstances, literally life and death at it’s worst. Not to mention millions without a job to provide for their families or uncertainty surrounding whether some may have a roof over their head. This is not about ignoring those sobering facts.
Looking at the silver lining of this situation, however, tells a different story. For me, one of grit, resiliency, balance and growth. Before the pandemic life felt a bit like a whirlwind. Constant movement, to-do lists, expectations, social gatherings, you name it. Constantly on the go. When the pandemic hit, the world literally stopped.
Once I was able to begin comprehending the situation that we were in, I felt a shift even within myself. Slowing down, resting, no expectations, being with my thoughts more, reflecting and overwhelm of the busy lives we lived gone. Don’t get me wrong, overwhelm and stress still existed due to job uncertainty, health concerns and the overall state of the world
At the same time with our lives slowing down to turtle speed, locked up at home really helped me in developing my mindfulness and responding to adversity by slowing down. Having the time to logically think through the uncertainties and respond in a productive way significantly improved my ability to overcome. I felt my well-being incrementally increase everyday
Being laid off from my job was something that I never had to experience before this. Yet, in April I was faced with this daunting challenge. This is going to sound crazy. It was the best thing that has ever happened to me. This is coming from someone who absolutely loved my job and what I did there, the people I got to meet and work with every day. I worked so hard to get that job and then it was gone just like that
So, why is it the best thing that ever happened to me? It singlehandedly forced me to develop my resiliency. I had a choice. Sit back and feel sorry for myself. Or respond productively and move forward towards figuring out what my next move would be. And that is exactly what I did. It led to me starting my own business in mindset and high-performance coaching. Something I had wanted to do for a long time.
It was about taking 100% responsibility for what happened in my life. Something that I had never really done or embraced before this. At least not at this magnitude. This was the number 1 concept that helped in keeping me resilient. Even though the pandemic clearly wasn’t my fault, I knew that the only one that was going to push me forward was me!
Taking 100% responsibility is even more important for the things that you cannot control. It’s not your fault, but it’s now your problem. A problem with a solution. This is what life does. It will throw challenges at you that you in no way shape or form asked for. What you can control is your response and reaction to these external events.
In addition to taking 100% responsibility for my situation, I have also had the opportunity to develop other areas of my life. My mindfulness through meditation, my health through better nutrition and different workouts as well as reading on a daily basis.
I know just how awful the pandemic has been. Devastating, in fact. My response and taking 100% responsibility were the absolute key in moving forward, staying resilient and adapting to the “new normal.” Moving forward, I am in an even better position to succeed through the next challenge given my experience through this one. Remember, life is going to challenge you. Another one will come after this. You will always have the choice on how you respond to them.
