While it is important to acknowledge the hardships endured, mourn the lives lost and appreciate the individuals working to save lives amid the COVID19 epidemic, it is still important to find a hopeful light.
Americans have been faced with the harsh reality that quarantine measures will continue into the future, for this epidemic shares similarities to an open-ended question without answers.
Searching for the good in difficult times may seem, well, difficult. The news swirling around media platforms is filled with numbers, which define the losses we have endured as a country. Among those statistics, however, hope and positivity can and must be found.
This positivity and hope can be interpreted in many ways. Bettering lives, whether it be your own or others around you, is positivity that needs no interpretation. Set aside some of what seems to be never-ending time in quarantine to better yourself and better others.
Be intentional with the time you have, for the cliché “time is more valuable than money” holds so much truth.
Use this time to learn how to better yourself as a whole and reflect on ways to make the most of this time to “reset” yourself. Take a deep breath.
Reset yourself and the life around you. This time of change can be a new starting point. Some individuals may have more downtime that can be invested in bettering themselves.
Set some goals, whether they be goals you can accomplish during this time or goals that you can work towards when life seems more normal. Be positive about the future to come, take a deep breath and have the confidence to work toward those goals.
Use this time to reflect on simple ways to be more kind, whether it be something little such as changing the harshness of your words. Be intentional about the ways you treat others in a more just and understanding way.
Learn about anything and everything. Become more knowledgeable about passions you may have. Read a book about something you may love or something you may dislike, no matter what it is, learn new things.
Open your eyes to the world around you, for this is a time that life has seemingly slowed down (except for our essential service individuals, a special thank you to everyone involved in such crucial industries.)
Connect with others, whether it be family members or strangers on social media. Better your relationships by slowing down and appreciating the people you may have in your life that help you get through times like these.
Do not just learn about things, learn about the amazing things people are capable of and be inspired by the stories of others.
Be thankful for the things that you are normally too busy to recognize. A simple thank you has the power to put smiles on faces and bring tears to eyes.
Thank our healthcare professionals, they are saving lives. Not only healthcare professionals, but the families of those healthcare professionals that feel the same hardships as if they were working the long hours themselves.
Thank a farmer or rancher and thank the agriculture industry as a whole for they have been the ones keeping the world fed without much recognition until now.
Set your differences aside and be thankful for the good people in this world and take this time to invest in yourself.
