I am trying to think about how much I even knew about Coronavirus a month ago. I stay fairly up-to-date on world affairs, so I knew it existed, but I don't think I had any appreciation for the way that it could or would impact my day-to-day life. I had no idea that it would blast through years of economic growth. I had no idea it would devastate the toilet paper supply chain.
Now I know that for a lot of people this virus has a much more personal impact (and it probably will for me sooner than later). Friends or loved ones may be falling ill. You may have someone close to you who falls into the at-risk category, so your fear is not necessarily getting the virus but inevitably spreading it. That's a big one for me.
Last night, I was cleaning my room and listening to a podcast called Measuring Success Right. I highly recommend it, but I will talk about that some other time. Jeff Mask, CEO of Mask Principles Elite Executive Coaching, was being interviewed. He talked about how certain traumatic events in his life (like almost losing his wife and son or later almost dying himself) forced him to really focus on what matters most in life.
He called these experiences gifts. He talked about smiling with our problems and the growth that comes when we embrace our trials/weaknesses/insecurities. When asked for advice on helping people make this shift in their mindset, this is what he said, "We all have serious problems. We all have things that are stressing us out. Right now, think about it... what's the number one stress that you have that keeps you up at night, that you're anxious about, that you continue to mull over in your mind, and what I invite [you] to do is to think 'What is the good that I am experiencing or that I can experience from this right now?" Versus just enduring it or masking it or altogether avoiding it, instead facing it with an abundant faithful mindset to think, "What does God want me to learn?" and when we do it form a place of joy and gratitude versus frustration and ingratitude, we actually learn when we choose to see the positive side of things."
So that made me really think about all the things that coronavirus is doing. I won't ever say Coronavirus is an inherently good thing, I know that it is having a devastating impact around the world. However, I know that plants can flower and bloom in difficult soil, so I find myself wondering, what are some of the good things that have happened this week that wouldn't have happened if I the world hadn't shut everything down for Coronavirus...
1- Usually because of time changes and complicated schedules, it is really hard for me to get in contact with my family in Virginia. Now they are home all day every day, and it is making it easier for us to catch up on the little things. Today we are planning a SDGE (social distancing gathering event) which basically means that we are going to be having a massive group call with everyone because no one should have anything else going on.
2- I have been able to spend more time at home with the family I live with. I've watched and learned from my uncle's parenting examples... not to mentioned laughed as he has learned multiple tik tok dances with my cousin. I have had more time to take my cousin driving.. this week we worked on parking...
3- I have gotten to know my wonderful neighbors better. One of my neighbors is a p.e. teacher and is passionate about fitness. She has been a lifesaver since the gym closed. I work out with her every day (maintaining social distancing of course). Another neighbor mentioned that none of the stores she went to had canned peaches, her son's favorite breakfast. When I went to the store later that day, they had restocked and I was able to grab some for them.
4- I have come to value little things, like sunshine. The weather has thankfully been decent. Sometimes a little chilly, but virtually anytime I see that the sun has come out, I go lay outside in the grass or take a walk. I am enjoying the simplicity of those activities. Plus, my neighbors generally have the same idea, so we are able to check on each other and make sure everyone is doing okay when we pass each other on opposite sides of the street (again, social distancing).
5- We are blessed with technology that allows me to continue receiving an education even if I can't go to classes. I am able to invert some of the extra free time I've had into studying more which is allowing me to stay caught up and understanding class content, even though online learning is not my ideal format. This process is forcing all of us to be patient with one another and we are learning more than just class material in the process.
6- I have been able to cook more!
7- I have been able to set goals and really focus on them each day. I never realized how many things were pulling at my time and attention until they all stopped. Now I feel freer to live true to my priorities. I am trying to establish morning and nighttime routines that I will maintain once life gets "back to normal." I set goals for things to work on every day between school assignments. This week I've been teaching myself Portuguese. Next week, I will continue that, but I hope to add some other goals as time goes on like piano practice, watercolor painting (something I have never really done), and practicing basketball (I have to get my fix somehow with the NBA shutdown). These are all things that I can do from my house or within walking distance while maintaining social distancing guidelines.
As a final thought, I feel very blessed by this experience because it feels like my Heavenly Father was preparing me to take advantage of it before it even happened. The past few months I haven't felt like myself, it's like I was spinning off-center. I was doing a lot of important things and progressing a lot, but I still felt like I wasn't calibrated. I tried to power through it and keep working at goals I had, and then for a few weeks, I just got really thrown off due to different life circumstances. I noticed I had gained some habits that I wanted to rid myself of. So I set some "crazy goals." Basically, I was eliminating three things from my life 1) watching tv/movies by myself, 2) social media (except posting on my photography Instagram because that was a goal I set for the year) and 3) not eating sugar.
I found that when I eliminated certain distractions, I had a lot more free time. I also realized that those distractions were keeping me from dealing with different emotions and issues that were suddenly on my mind regularly. I realized that I hadn't been taking care of myself as well as I thought. Then with Coronavirus and the changes that happened, as a result, I had even more free time. I am sure that if I hadn't already changed those habits the experiences I would have as a result of this shift would be a list of tv shows and movies that I watched to pass the time. As a person who thrives in chaos, I am grateful for these experiences. I am learning the joy of simplicity and the discipline of progressing and achieving goals in a low-pressure environment. This time of increased reflection, coupled with the guidance the Lord has given me about how I can progress, has truly been a blessing for me.
I don't believe that God is the author of our sorrows. Trials are both the natural by-product of living in a fallen world and a tactic of the adversary to discourage and dishearten. I believe that God is really good at giving us sugar and providing access to living water that can make lemonade out of any circumstance if we let Him. (The trick here my friends is always remembering that it is a loving Father in Heaven who gives us lemonade, not lemons).
Today, I have no idea what my life will be like a month from now, but I am going to enjoy the journey finding out.
