Life is Forever Changed... and That's Okay!

A vast portion of the world has been on some form of lockdown over the past couple months. The sudden change in our lives has been a lot to adjust to. People have lost jobs, non-essential businesses have remained stagnant, children are no longer in school and parents had to quickly develop the skill of academic teaching whether they wanted to or not. Our social lives have been disrupted. Birthdays are now celebrated behind cell phones and computers while late nights out have been replaced by live DJ sets on Instagram. While we deal with this unplanned interruption, there is an invisible enemy looming and threatening vulnerable lives and global healthcare systems. We’ve become equal parts paranoid and vigilant in our new face masks and dried out over-sanitized hands. We stay weary of keeping our distance, some afraid to even bump elbows while others have maybe gone a little crazy with the Lysol. To make sense of it all, some have indulged in unfounded conspiracy theories for answers, while others unquestioningly comply to our dwindling freedoms and take refuge in the safety of their families. Everyone has their own way of coping. The times are uncertain, our behavior is changing, the world will never be the same… and all of that is perfectly fine.

One of the most crippling aspects about this period in history is our fear of change. We’ve gotten used to our routines and habits regardless of if they were designed to steer us closer to our goals or not. Just the thought of losing that familiar consistency is enough to build anxiety in some. But as Tony Robbins famously said, “By changing nothing, nothing changes”. The truth is, in the midst of all this confusion, adjustment and loss, lies opportunity.

People have represented themselves as pillars of inspiration by taking this time to personally develop. New master chefs are being created at home, children have more options for personalized learning, artists are throwing themselves into their work and business owners are coming up with creative ways to serve consumers in the times ahead. About 3 million worldwide annual deaths are correlated to pollution and poor air quality. Since the great lockdown of 2020, some cities have seen up to a 60% reduction of air pollution. There have been anecdotal reports of wildlife re-emerging and thriving in areas where they were previously rarely seen and in India people are reporting to see the Himalayas for the first time in decades from over 125 miles away. Even in the grips of a traumatic pandemic, there are still wonderful things to appreciate.

It is true that life will not be the same and we’re not yet sure what that will look like. Will we require vaccine certificates to travel? Will homeschooling become the new normal? Will masks become an essential fashion accessory? No one knows for sure. What is known is that it will be okay. Humans are a resilient species. Like with any major change, we will adapt. Some of us will even thrive. It’s all a matter of where you point your attention. You have a choice. You can get bogged down and entangled into a web of uncertainty and fear (which, by the way, is a perfectly normal reaction to the magnitude of what we are facing) or you can work on developing the mental fortitude required to recognize the opportunity innately embedded in every challenge. The most important thing to remember is that life is now forever changed, and that is absolutely okay.

If these times have you feeling lost and overwhelmed, Goalmachine is here to help. Email saganspeaks@MyGoalmachine.com for information on how you can get a free coaching session from a certified life coach. Get clarity on how you can start achieving goals through this challenging time and be amongst the special few who will come out of this period thriving.