It is a strange time in the world these days.
For most of us, we have never lived through a global crisis. Living through the unknown. Most global catastrophes were taught to us in history class, but I don’t think many of us imagined we would live through one that would be taught to our future children. I am finding it very intriguing to see how people are reacting to the coronavirus. The first questions that come to my mind are…
Who is panicking? Who is keeping up with the news? And who is ignoring all of the recommendations and warnings? Once I dig a little deeper, I find myself asking… who is doing something productive with this time? Who is viewing this time period as an opportunity? And who is content sleeping all day and doing nothing?
I think you can learn a lot about a person during this time of the unknown.
As one of my personal philosophies, I believe happiness is a choice. By doing so, I am choosing to see the silver lining, the positive parts, and potential learnings from each situation. This outlook has helped me become more self-aware which in turn has helped me communicate to others what I need in order to be happy.
For example, in the first two weeks of this quarantine, I was sitting in the same room as my mom whose job requires her to be on a webinar all day. This fact also meant that I had to sit quietly for 40 hours a week. For those of you who do not know me, that is an impossible task. I felt myself going crazy. The second I was able to speak, listen to music, or make any noise whatsoever, I was amplifying what normally would’ve come out.
Finally, I expressed to my family that it was significantly affecting my mental health. Since then, we have moved her office into the front room. Now, my sister and I can sit in the room together, listening to music. I have seen a huge improvement in my happiness and sanity. Sometimes, the only thing standing between you and your happiness is the ability to dictate what you need.
Challenge
Take this time to reflect on what makes you happy. Make a list. Is there a trend?
“Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” – Albus Dumbledore
