Nothing has shaken up the course of life in recent history like the coronavirus has. The devastation is not going to be reiterated – a simple glance at the TV will do. However, there’s no question the pandemic caused us to rethink the many beliefs we held prior.
Even if you’re not the type of person that takes a deep look into situations, you can’t deny this season has dismantled words of “wisdom” that you’re used to hearing or doing.
Wisdom like…
Work harder in life, and everything will fall into place.
Look how many people worked so hard and lost their jobs. Better yet, people have been quitting their jobs at record rates. You would think a time of hardship would produce the highest level of company loyalty. Then the pandemic said, “think again”.
My grandfather always said when people are hit with uncertainty they get creative. Once again, the pandemic has proven him right. The gig economy has taken over the market and is here to stay. Just look at the term “freelance” appearing as often, if not more, than “full-time” on job boards.
As technology develops, one could argue the shift in the workforce was inevitable. Or maybe the truth of the matter is this: people are realizing quality time with family is truly what’s important.
For plenty of us, being locked up at home with our loved ones was annoying at times. Looking back at the bigger picture though, the bond we formed with them far outweighed any annoyances. With the workaholic culture that was in place pre-Covid, this was something that was not as frequent (or not on our minds).
Here’s the main less the COVID Pandemic taught: if you die today, your job or ambitions will find another candidate the next day. Your loved ones will miss you forever. Hold them close.
Then there’s wisdom that’s not said, per se, but it’s implied and done. Wisdom like…
Life is mundane. Just go through the motions.
If Covid taught us anything, it’s life can literally flip in the blink of an eye. Luxuries like going inside a movie theatre were taken away in many countries in an instant. Also, some of the family we took for granted passed away through our fingers. On the other hand, what happened to those of us who didn’t even care to find a passion because we were so busy going through the motions?
Depression is at an all-time high. Of course, this is a disease that is as mysterious as it is ever-present. And you can’t blame one situation for your emotional turmoil. But what if the decline in mental health is due to many of us sitting down and saying, “What do I like to do besides working and taking care of my loved ones”?
You know what’s so ironic. Most of us wouldn’t even be thinking about our purpose if we weren’t forced to. If you weren’t told to stay home, you would still be running to and fro – not thinking about if you are truly living or merely existing.
This newfound sense of purpose can also be to blame for people quitting traditional career paths. The idea of working 35 to 40 hours a week for 40 years and maybe getting to enjoy 10 to 20 years of retirement now seems outdated. By the time you reach this stage, your kids are grown, and some of the life experiences you wanted to have are permanently on the back burner. Is going through the motions truly worth it?
When you’re reading this you know living this type of life doesn’t make sense. But some things in life you only see when you slow down. Another round of applause for this pandemic. Not literally.
The bottom line is this:
If COVID taught you one thing, I hope you learn to enjoy every moment. And don’t let anything stop you.