I don’t think anyone of us could’ve ever guessed these events would escalate so quickly, but they did. Here we are, welcoming a new decade and the most impactful disease of the century. By number of deaths, the covid-19 isn’t nearly as devastating as the swine flu or the flu which kills about 56,000 people each year. Regardless if you think the world is over reacting or not, this perception is now our reality.
Humans are a social species and lots of things can change when that is taken away from us. We instinctively feel alone and we don’t release as many endorphins or dopamine throughout the day, known as our “happiness hormones.” You lose motivation and things start to feel… desolate, dejecting, down in the dumps.
If social distancing wasn’t enough, my city, Salt Lake City, was hit with a 5.7 earthquake this morning, followed by 80 tremors throughout the day after that. During two of my video calls, my coworkers and I experienced some of those mini earthquakes/tremors together. My work building was damaged and will be closed for a week until damages can be repaired. As if dealing with a pandemic wasn’t enough, we had to deal with an earthquake which left many of us without power.
It’s very easy to feel disheartened by all of this, but we all have a choice:
You can either choose to be hopeful, positive, and make a difference by doing your part, or you can choose to be negative, angry at the world, and live in despair for the next 30 days. I am choosing the first option. I am inspired by the way my family, friends, and colleagues have supported each other. Within minutes of the first earthquake lots of people were checking in and offering to help in any way they could. This is really an opportunity to take a step back in life and reflect on what’s really important to us. At the end of the day, it could be much worse. There’s some good in every day. Even on bad days you can find something positive. For example, this afternoon I went to the field and juggled my soccer ball for an hour which I haven’t been able to do in months. I also witnessed how the leaders of my company handled this crisis with class, courage, and by comforting all of their employees. I am truly honored to be part of such a wonderful organization.
Let’s pull together, be there for each other emotionally, mentally, and spiritually by virtual means, and we’ll get through these times together. I know I’ll be leaning on my friends and family more for phone calls to catch up and share a few laughs, quiet time to relax, and free time to read, write, and focus on my self development and what really matters in the world. How are you planning to spend your quarantine?
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