She believed she could so she did!

Oh this pandemic! Times are tough and we all are fighting our own little battles within ourselves. Everyone is struggling with the new normal. We started with the assumption that it’s a matter of a few days...maybe the lockdown is announced for a fortnight. No one could imagine what hit them when, even after 5 months of being captive in our own homes, today we are unable to see the horizon.

Children are frustrated because they can’t go to play, confused because school comes home instead of them going. Working professionals’ freedom is snatched away as the offices, their safe haven away from a nagging family, are off limits. Let’s not even get started on the Desperate Housewives! Their few hours of solitude and peace have been snatched away by an ever needy family and a never depleting pile of dishes.

Does that mean there’s no hope for mankind? We will continue to hang by a thread in fear and frustration forever? Looks like we are doomed!

Fortunately there’s hope. History tells us that evolution has worked well for human beings. We are a resilient tribe. We have survived and moreover thrived over hundreds of years, withstanding epidemics, wars and innumerable natural calamities. This too shall pass.

Believe it or not being happy is a state of mind. And human mind is the strongest. If we put our mind to something we can scale mountains, build bridges, reach the moon. So we can surely find something as simple as staying happy and staying positive!

Easier said than done? I started the lockdown journey at an all time low myself. Being locked inside the house, the fear of an unknown pandemic, no domestic help and a demanding family. I led this hapless life for the first three months. Then I introspected. If this situation was going to remain as is for the next 2 months, I’ll survive. If it goes on for 6 months, I’ll struggle. But what if this is going to be the way of life for the next 1 year? How long can I go on without my usual ways out to let of f steam? I paused, took stock of my situation and thought of simple things to keep me looking forward to life.

I convinced myself to look at things from a positive angle. For example:

1. I was saving so much time not dropping and picking kids to school. Suddenly my rant about “no time” disappeared

2. Kids and husband who had been forced to help around the house, overnight started to act responsible

3. The ever elusive ideal weight started to become more real when I started to look at chores as exercise

4. The imperfections in the poor husband appeared to be more human and the faults became more acceptable

Armed with all this positivity, I have discovered the passion that I had been seeking since a while. I have found the perfect self-improvement tool that has made me feel worth myself. Besides the positive shift in my outlook, it is a perfect opportunity to help other people who are in a similar position or seeking some other personal or professional goals. (More on this soon...)

Although the pandemic is unfortunate in every other sense, I have derived a lot of learning and sense of purpose from it. A simple shift in outlook can work wonders for you...you just have to change your perspective!