Has COVID-19 Been Good Or Bad?
New Opportunities Because Of COVID-19
Take advantage of opportunities even during the worst of times.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Since I’m not a big lemonade fan, I prefer to think, when life gives you lemons, make Lemon Meringue Ice Box Pie.
I feel it necessary to say that I’m not thankful for this global pandemic as I know full well that millions have died. Millions more have suffered an endless variety of hardships. In no way has COVID-19 been a good thing for anyone. What I have done is to use the life changes that have happened to seek opportunities. These pretty much always existed, but I didn’t have to vision to see.
Difficult times disrupt your conventional ways of thinking and push you to forge better habits of thought, performance and being.
— -Robin S. Sharma
What opportunities have COVID-19 afforded me?
I canceled my gym membership and started running again. In doing so, even having lived in the area for nearly 18 years, I discovered trails I never knew existed. I live in Asheville, North Carolina, and a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway runs through the area. Parallel to the BRP is the MST or Mountains To Sea Trail, which is a rolling trail comprised of rocks, roots, ascents & descents, small stream crossings, and the sheer beauty of being in nature.
Since running these trails several times a week with my wife, we’ve discovered many wild mushrooms. We have harvested several varieties we take home to cook and eat. We’ve found Chanterelle’s, Cinnabar’s, Maitake, Painted Bolete’s, Hedgehog mushrooms, and others. I probably never would have discovered these trails, and the variety of mushrooms in the area had it not been for being in lockdown due to COVID-19.
I managed to barely just survive financially the 2008–2010 economic downturn. At the start of COVID-19, I quickly anticipated a severe downturn in business revenue and hence my income. Sometime around late March, I decided to reduce all expenses as rapidly as possible to survive. It wasn’t fun, but it was necessary as I was not proactive in 2008, and it took me 10 years to get out of debt because of it.
With my business revenue being adversely affected, I now had a whole lot more time on my hand. And sure, for far more weeks than I care to admit, I hung out with my wife, who was mandated to shut down her spa business for a while. We streamed far too much on TV and kept up with the news as much as our emotions would allow.
In thinking about possible options for generating revenue, I decided to start writing again. I wrote a weekly column for a newspaper about 2 decades ago, so I knew I could write and simply needed to get back into the groove. Plus, find an outlet to do so, which I’ve discovered in Medium.
While the US President, Donald Trump, says COVID-19 is a blessing, which I sincerely disagree with, I think it has created many opportunities. I decided to seize upon one of those opportunities. I am not knocking anyone who considers it a blessing if that is your belief system. My heart goes out to everyone who lost a job, a home, a career, financial struggles, and especially to everyone who lost a loved one or friend. But in every situation, opportunities exist. You merely have to have the vision.
I have been so overwhelmed before when I was close to being homeless, with only USD 50 to my name and unemployed. My resilience to overcome obstacles has been tested far too many times before. I wrote about it here: Luck Has Never Played A Role In My Success. Regardless of my present circumstances, I have always been determined to succeed by doing whatever it takes regardless of how difficult it may be. It is, at times, impossible to think clearly and rationally when under extremely stressful situations. So stop trying.
If you are blinded by stress, then ask a friend or mentor to help you envision some opportunities. They may be able to provide guidance if they know you well enough. Should that not be an option, then sit and allow yourself to think as positively as you can about your present situation. Write down who you are and what you can do. Stop reading the news as that is not going to move you forward. What will move you forward is taking action. Turn off all critical filters in your head that may prevent you from moving forward and trying something or anything new.
Positive things come out of even the most difficult times.
— Felipe Massa
Seek out opportunities as they exist all around you. If not, then create your own. Forget about how small an opportunity may be as sometimes the smallest can turn into something larger. Even if it doesn’t, one step forward will bring you the encouragement and momentum to take the next step and still another step in the right direction.
It would be great if I could tell you specific opportunities, but that is not the case. Trust that they exist. Trust that you are capable of more than you may feel you can do. Realize that while you may be at one of the lowest points in your life, you will pass through it if you keep moving forward despite the difficulties. Yes, every minute of every day may indeed suck for far too long, but I promise you if you keep moving, you will pass through it.
Also, realize, you are not alone. Most of the world right now is faced with very similar challenges. In many ways, life as we once knew it is gone. That’s not meant to sound depressing. Everyone keeps talking about these are unprecedented times. There will be no return to precedented times as far too many things have changed, and that’s ok.
If a job you were doing no longer exists, realize that now and learn a new skill. Accept you may have a new career. Forget about easy and focus on creating a new life for yourself that can be even better than your previous life.
Final Consideration
I lost a relative due to COVID-19, as have so many countless others. The emotional toll on the world is frightening and not over yet. In no way is my intention to encourage you to not feel any loss or pain. My intention is to remind you this is life. This is reality. While you may not be able to control how you feel. You can control your actions. If you need a way to make a living or supplement your current income, opportunities exist. Forget about what you may want or like to do. Instead, look for what is available or, better yet, what opportunities you can create for yourself and your family. My father taught me that there are times when you have to “do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.” These are certainly those times.
Be Safe. Be Well. Be Kind. Be Loving. Be Grateful.
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About Me: I’m one of 12 kids, and grew up in a family business that my immigrant grandfather started in 1925. Several of my siblings are still operating the business. I started working at around eight years old and quickly learned the value of work before striking out on my own in 1994 with Dynamic Image Marketing Building systems to optimize my business and life is pure enjoyment for me. I have helped many friends and clients do the same. To me, life is all about learning new ways of doing things better and am always willing to share my knowledge with everyone.
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