This weekend, feeling a little more down than usual, I cleaned up some old boxes of things. I am not particularly sentimental, and am pretty selective of the things that I hold on to.
Among the assorted nicknacks were old photos, cards and letters from friends and family, little mementos from my college years, and tickets to sporting events I’d been fortunate enough to go to.
I began to feel a natural sense of gratitude for all the people and things I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy. And I realized that despite all the craziness in the world, there might be a secret weapon for getting through this.
So like everyone, I’ve been impacted by the chaos the coronavirus has rained down. A close family member of mine remains in the hospital after ten days in a medically induced coma from the Covid-19 virus. The very real economic fallout has impacted my business, my paycheck, and my 401K. Like everyone else, I remain isolated at home.
So how do we deal? Let me suggest gratitude.
Did your parents ever tell you that there would always be those better off and others worse off than you? Mine certainly did, adding that we should not look down on others or look too far up to those apparently ahead of us. We’re all fighting battles invisible to those around us.
So while these are unsettled times, and there are very real things to be worried about, try to remember:
If you’re stuck at home, be grateful you have a roof over your head. There are millions world-wide that don’t have the shelter most of us take for granted. In many places, the idea of “social distancing” isn’t even possible.
If you’re stuck working out of the house, be grateful you have a job while millions other head for unemployment. If you’re one of the heroic health care workers, be grateful for the opportunity to help others and improve lives. *And a giant THANK YOU from all of us.
If you’ve lost your job, be grateful for the money you have made and the skills that you have acquired. You will not be unemployed forever. Maybe this is the opportunity to make the jump to some thing or some place new. I would be willing to bet that you know someone who can look back and say that a lost opportunity opened a far better one (even if they didn’t realize it at the time).
If you lose your home and have to move in with parents or friends for a while, be thankful you have a place to go and people who care about you. Be thankful for the generosity of strangers and non-profit organizations and government assistance programs.
If (God forbid) you lose a loved one, try to be thankful for the time you had with them. The cold hard truth of it is that Covid-19 or not, we all stand to lose any person we love at any moment. Car accidents, blocked arteries, human violence, illness, and countless others serve as constant danger.
Some of these might seem callous and unreasonable. How am I supposed to be happy about a job loss? Notice I didn’t say be happy for it. Be grateful for what you learned in your last role. Be grateful for the people you met. Be grateful that you now have new opportunities. Was everything perfect anyway? Probably not.
This wouldn’t be a challenge if it was easy. But none of this is new. How arrogant to think that your problems are unique or original. Plagues have wiped out millions in the past, war has destroyed cities (and civilizations), economies and currencies have completely collapsed.
Look for the things to be grateful, be thankful for the people and the things you have, not sad those you have lost.
It’s been said that it is impossible to be grateful and anxious at the same time. This is not a call to detach from reality, but one to focus and be grateful on the things that we all have.
After all, what is the alternative?