The Covid-19 Crisis: An Opportunity to Cultivate Awareness
In just a few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed our lives; some people have died, many have recovered, medical equipment is not enough, employees are being fired, and if we want this to go away eventually, we must stay home. But in every crisis there is a hidden opportunity for growth. And this unprecedented moment in history can certainly teach us valuable lessons on how to be more aware of the realities of the world and how they drectly or indirectly affect all of us. Here are just a few of the things we’ve been meditating on during this global crisis.
BEING MINDFUL OF HOW WE MANAGE AND CONSUME (AVAILABLE) RESOURCES
These are hard times for all of us. And it is more than understandable that our first instinct is to protect ourselves and our loved ones. However, misusing and overbuying resources only makes them unavailable to people who are going through the same situation, or worse. This is the perfect opportunity to understand that having access to the resources we need to survive this crisis is a privilege. We need to acknowledge more vulnerable populations. And we are not just talking about the elderly or people with previous conditions who are more vulnerable to COVID-19; we’re also talking about the people who usually don’t have access to water and other basic sanitary resources even during normal times.
We can clearly remember how at home, in Haiti, we would get water only two to three times a week. So, we had to stock water to make sure we had enough for the following days. And we always had to buy drinkable water! Other people - in Haiti and elsewhere - have never had access to clean water and the basic resources required to survive. Imagine what their life must be like, especially right now!
So, complaining when water is turned off a few hours a day just a few days a week during dry season - in Costa Rica, for example - or buying stuff like crazy out of panic only makes you an ungrateful and inconsiderate person.
REALIZING EPIDEMICS ARE A DAILY REALITY IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD
The novel coronavirus is affecting everyone to some degree. And the fact that we all have to press pause and do our part right now can teach us a valuable lesson on empathy. Although this is a first time for most of us, epidemics are a daily reality for many people around the world. When epidemics strike poorer countries, it goes unseen, but when they also affect the most powerful nations, it forces the whole world to stop.
The fact that the COVID-19 crisis turned into such a pandemic gives us - more privileged people - the opportunity to observe, acknowledge, and act on circumstances we wouldn't normally care about because they are not usually ours. In some countries people still die from diseases that can be cured and/or prevented by having access to clean water or cheap vaccines, like the cholera epidemic in Haiti. We also have to be aware of the fact that this pandemic is affecting certain populations in a particulary tragic way due the social injustice and systemic discrimination they already face during normal times. In the U.S. this pandemic is currently unsurprisingly striking black people more than other social groups, because of pre-existing disparities that make this community more exposed to any type of widespread crisis: poverty, inadequate housing, lack of healthcare, among other things.
So next time there is an epidemic - or not - that doesn't directly affects us, we can choose to be more aware of the reality of others and even lend a hand if we can.
LEARNING TO STOP “PUSHING THROUGH” AND “GOING THE EXTRA MILE”
Stop going to work when you're sick. Stop feeling like you always have to be productive. Stop being afraid of taking a few days off. Stop thinking the world will stop moving if you don't push through that one last task. Seriously, just stop! We've all been guilty of this, especially, us, millennials. There's always one more idea to work on and one more challenge to conquer. Drive and ambition are good, but they are not the response to everything. Sorry to burst your bubble, but going the extra mile is not going to make COVID-19 go away.
We're not saying you should use this crisis as an excuse to lie down in bed and binge watch Netflix series all day everyday. We're saying that this crisis should be an opportunity to move towards balance. It is teaching us that the economy doesn't exist without us; if we're sick, it gets sick, too. It is teaching us that the whole world is connected. So, this is not about building this new business you've been thinking about or playing video games all day. It's about both or neither. This crisis is affecting everybody in so many different ways that we can only do what works best for us based on our needs and circumstances. This disease is teaching us to take better care of ourselves and our loved ones, appreciate meaningful moments and people, connect with those who matter to us, do things we enjoy, be grateful, while also working, building our businesses, sharpening our skills, and toughening our mind and body.
This is not a race. So, if your only goal is to get to that finish line - whatever that is to you - as quickly as possible, you are missing out on your life. Seek balance.
EXPLORING WAYS OF MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE PLANET
The only one who is having a blast during this global crisis is Mother Nature. Waters are clearing up, the air is cleaner, animals are free and living their best life… It is unbelievable – yet, not surprising – how much of a positive impact this pandemic has had on the planet. Unless you live under a rock, you are probably aware or have at least vaguely heard of how human activities contribute to the destruction of the planet. This global crisis is a golden opportunity to look at how much better the planet would do without us inhabiting it. And that is some real food for thought. For those who believe climate change is not a thing, if this is not enough proof of how negatively human beings impact the planet, then nothing else will make us aware of the changes we should have started making a long time ago.
We obviously cannot live inside our houses forever (or can we?), but there are certainly many ways in which we can buffer our impact on the Earth. Some habits we can adopt include: using more public transportation, not going to zoos or any type of space where animals are used for human entertainment, producing our own food (or at least some of it) if we can, making a better use of water and other basic resources, shopping local, traveling less, and so on. You don’t need to radically change you lifestyle at once if you don’t want to or can’t, but even the smallest actions add up and can have a positive effect on our shared home.
There are so many more things we could list here, and trust us, one post wouldn’t be enough. But we believe these are a good place to start. It might not seem like it right now, but this crisis will eventually come to an end. And while we are trying to stay safe a home, it is important that we think about how this pandemic has reshaped our lives so we can decide how to reshape our world when the time comes.