COVID-19: Best or Worst Thing ever? 🤔

This pandemic could've been the worst thing that's ever happened to you, and I empathize that.

But let's not pretend that this pandemic to some people could've been the best thing that's ever happened to them.

It happened to me.

Due to this pandemic,

• I am home all the time now, compared to the past 3 years, devoting my services to help my parents.
• I found a way of reaching out to communities that are more positive & lift me up, rather than the old communities I'm stuck with that drained my energy.
• I've been eating more healthily & have workout plans.
• I've been forced to think & do things that I've always tell myself to manage after graduation - career, relationships, family, just to name a few.
• I've invested into mentorships & more informal classes.
• I've been forced to prioritize what really, REALLY, matters now.
  (For example, I don't have a closet anymore! Since I have very limited number of clothes only).

During this pandemic where each of our lives has been severely affected, I couldn't be even more grateful that it was positive to me.

And when I said it's the best thing, I do not mean that bad things do not happen to me during this pandemic. My parents could not work for months. A lot of stuff had been damaged. And my parents' safety, health-wise, are heavily compromised, especially during April-May time period where COVID-19 heavily peaked in our place.

It's just, even with the bad things happening, I'm still able to survive, and actually have plans to thrive.

I admit wholeheartedly that I have privileges, that can turn one of the darkest time for humanity to personally one of the best times for me. I'm young, healthy, have a decent quality of education, living in a decent country & neighborhood, have Internet connection, am loved by family, just to list out some.

And I believe I am not alone.

So I'm not here to brag, but to inspire. And to evoke the sense of responsibility.

What I mean is, I am here putting all of the good things happening to me amidst this pandemic so I could hold myself, and anyone relevant, responsible. With such privileges, how could I even dare to complain? How could I even dare to even have a thought to complain?

Nah, I feel like God will straight send a thunder to strike me out even with just the thought of doing so 😅

I'm sending this message first and foremost to myself, and then to those applicable; the ones with privileges.

People's lives have been greatly affected, and I'm not saying bad things don't happen to you either. They do! I empathize that.

But, hearing too much of these stories may make us focus of what we CANNOT do, while there is literally thousands of things we actually CAN do.

It's easy to succumb to the victim's mindset when we are surrounded with these stories.

So I'm here, to give you a slap on the back of your head, for you to hit the reality,

that you are actually among the lucky ones.

You are in your free time, holding your phone, probably snacking, reading this, which shows you have a decent Internet connection, and after this you would probably continue doing your work, which shows that you still have a job and can still pay your bills.

Oh, you're a student? Even more privileged! You're basically living off taxpayers, and some of your mama's pocket money.

So stop whining, stop complaining, stop blaming others, and stop succumbing your own self into victim's mindset. Because you're not one.

Why? Because there are more things that you CAN do, compared to what you CANNOT do right now.

And secondly, this goes to the ones whose lives have indeed been severely, negatively affected by COVID-19.

I understand that this is a hard time, and I empathize that.

You don't believe me? Well, I guess you're probably true too. I mean, I can never truly empathize with one's struggles until I'm exactly in his own shoes.

But in all seriousness, I try to empathize.

And I'm here to give you hope: even in a midst of a time where you feel that you are unable to do anything, there is still something that you CAN do.

Maybe you feel hopeless, but I believe everyone has the potential to bring something out of them.

Please, do not be pressured now. It's okay if you don't figure out what that 'something' is yet.

And it's not your responsibility to prove that 'something' to anyone.

I'm just providing an insight, for you. Hope, and giving off what you can offer, is what would ensure us to stay survive.

We, the privileged ones, indeed can offer some things, a lot of things. But not hope. It's something from within you. We can only offer to help, and I believe some of us right now are really working extra hard to help you.

So it's up on you, to have faith, and keep your hopes, so that you would continue to go through this hard times.

And when you finally get through this, you will come out ever stronger than before.

And when that happens,

the pandemic would actually the best thing that's ever happened to you 🙂

Ultimately, regardless of who we are,

let's focus on bringing out the best of us,

and that is how we all collectively together ensure on turning one of the darkest times in humanity, into the brightest one 🙂

~

p/s: Want to learn more about rethinking about thinking? My latest book, The Third Side of The Coin, does just that! It portrays different perspective that I've personally experienced, so it's a healthy exercise to our minds together. Click here to check it out🙂