It doesn’t feel like it to me, and something in me says that we haven’t seen the worst, yet. But my great-grandmother was infinitely wiser than me. She always said, “there will always be tomorrow”. No matter how bad the day, tomorrow offers the promise of chances and better times.
Tomorrow may be a relative time frame, but in essence she was right. This period will be over one day, and we go back to normal, or a derivative of it.
We’ve Been Here Before
This is not the first global event with significant impact. Just going back 12 years, the financial crisis of 2008 shook up the world, the economic markets and the business world. The meltdown of the financial market caused turmoil, led to banks collapsing and stopped the flow of lending and capital. Many say, it was a crisis of trust. Even though nearly everybody felt the consequences, it still felt like it happened somewhere else. There was little that could be done by you and me.
This is different. As the current crisis affects the health of ourselves, our family and our friends, it comes very, very close to home. As the numbers of cases change, its likely that there will be more people who will directly know someone who is affected. And even with scientist providing numbers and statistics on recovery, it is clearly not a common cold, and that makes it scary.
With the increased impact on everyday life, the stock market – very allergic to uncertainty – took dive upon dive. Businesses slowed down, and some have come to a complete halt. Projections differ at this point, but the average of opinions is that it will take some time before we have recovered.
My Great-Grandmother’s Words Rings True
But with that, the words of my great-grandmother ring true. This, too, shall pass. The virus will be contained, by the combined efforts of governments, health care professionals and the general public. Markets will stabilize and curfews will be lifted. Businesses will start up and restaurants will open. We will mourn the ones we’ve lost, but life will pick up again.
And in the meantime, there’s quite a bit we can do. We wash our hand and keep our distance. FaceTime, Skype and Zoom are wonderful tools to keep in touch with your loved-ones, friends and colleagues, while maintaining distance.
But you can do more: with life slowing down, this is the perfect time to reach out to people you haven’t talked to in a while. It is also the opportunity to go and get certified: follow courses in your field of expertise, or obtain the license or certification in something you’ve always wanted to do. There is nothing wrong with binge watching You, Mad Men and The Soprano’s, but if you want to know my advice: do that as a reward for studying for your PHR, PMP and ITIL diplomas. You will feel very accomplished.
If you have some time on your hands and your kids have gone to bed, invest in yourself, and come out of this stronger.
In the meantime, stay safe: I wish you and your loved ones remain unaffected by the illness.
