This too shall pass - COVID lessons

I am sure a lot of us dread to open the newspapers or switch on the television, or even browse, as we only see COVID related news, number of cases, number of deaths, lack of oxygen and hospital beds etc. Think about it, there are quite a few positives that can be drawn from what we have gone through and learnt the last year. We moved close to a 1000 people to work from home in March ’20 and had numerous concerns about the outcomes. For a lot of people (including the likes of me), this has been the longest stretch at home after starting our careers. A few of the positives according to me:

We have learnt to adapt, understood how to coexist, live with challenges relating to infrastructure and appreciate the value of family and the role they play in our lives. I have seen folks working out of one room homes and still delivering.

We have become truly resilient and understanding. I do not think we have understood and empathized with fellow humans as much as we do now, ever before.

Been a hard lesson but this year has taught us gratitude. I am sure all of us reading this are thankful to various entities for the differences they have created in our life. Food on the table, secure jobs and good health are some things that many of us were taking for granted.

We have stood together and helped each other, be it finding medical resources, be it referring opportunities, be it providing food for the needy and many such things. We now appreciate the value of resources at our disposal and the role that everyone in the ecosystem plays. In India, I am sure a lot of people would have realised the importance of house help, and people who play a role in our daily lives.

Companies irrespective of their size have announced benefits for people who test positive and for employees who unfortunately succumb to the virus. There are insurance covers, response teams and buddy groups formed across organizations to help each other. There are so many posts on LinkedIn by members expressing their gratitude, pride and sense of belonging.

We humans are a race that stands up against adversity, against the odds and emerges victoriously in the end. I am sure we will see the last of COVID soon. This too shall pass, stay healthy, stay safe, get vaccinated. I am looking forward to times when we can travel, meet friends, families and customers…please feel free to share your views.

“Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.”