Written by Sreya Rakshit
Yes, I know it’s all very overwhelming. I keep thinking of how things were seemingly normal until mid-March, even though there were reports of the havoc COVID-19 was unleashing on parts of the world.
Somehow it seemed to be out there somewhere, like SARS or MERS, not lurking in our vicinity waiting for us to pay attention. So, as the world around me unravelled like a ball of yarn, I found myself initially merely reacting to things that came my way. It was exhausting and at some point, I couldn’t even predict my own behaviour, let alone make sense of another persons.
And then my partner, the wiser of us two (but I’ll never admit that to him!), reminded me to pause, take a deep breath and allow myself to center. So, I did and I began to realise that honestly, THIS time right here is the stuff that fairytales are made of. Before you stare at this in disbelief and walk away declaring me to be delusional, I hope you will continue to read.
Thank you for being here still. I promise to start making sense.
“In times of adversity and change, we really discover who we are and what we’re made of.” Howard Schultz
He should know a thing or two about adversity given that in the 1980’s he took a regional coffee brand and turned it into a global brand that continues to serve us even today – Starbucks. But this isn’t about Starbucks or Howard Schultz. This is about the pandemic, and how it is shaping us, our behaviour and therefore, the world around us.
The truth is there isn’t a better reveal for who we are, and what we stand for, than adversity. There are many clichés around this, and as is the case with most clichés, they have some basis in truth.
See, it is easy to extoll the virtues of integrity/ positivity/ fairness etc. (you get the drift) when the going is good. Since most of it is never challenged, beyond one’s declaration of values that are dear to one, it is purely lip service. Of course, I am not suggesting that the pandemic is meant to serve solely as a character test but if you think about it, that is one of the outcomes.
My mother always says that how you treat another human being is more telling of you than them, especially in the case of those who hold no power/ influence over you or your life.
It is easy, for instance, to say that your car cleaner didn’t really do any work for the entire month of April, so why pay him/ her? Flip that around and ask yourself if you’d like to be treated the same way by your employer? Or by a client who refuses to pay because there wasn’t any work. Be the employer you wish to have, (if being a decent human isn’t a good enough reason, that is) because we are all interconnected, and that’s one lesson the pandemic has delivered straight home!
If this gives you the impression that am sitting in judgment of anyone, I must correct you. No, the reason I write about this is because it’s easy enough to get sucked into the daily grind of just seeing the day through (the unending home chores + WFH), and not focus on what our actions mean, and the impact they have not only the people around but also, ultimately, us. Only if we are conscious of ourselves and acknowledge the repercussions of our decisions, can we hope to make lasting changes. Changes that not only improve us at an individual level but also, collectively.
The human will to survive is probably one of the strongest forces on this planet. One way or the other, we will survive this pandemic too and I hope it is with minimal loss of lives and livelihood. Let the lessons learned during this pandemic be about kindness, empathy and community. For never, in my life time at least, have one person’s actions impacted the world like this. Be the person who spreads kindness and empathy, the world may just turn out to be as perfect as you imagined it to be.
About the Author:
Sreya lives to eat and discover the world, and considers herself lucky that her employer lets her work on what she loves! When not strategising on the communications outreach for the clients she represents in Hospitality and F&B, she can be found on a couch – usually at her home – mulling over what to munch on next. She exists on Instagram to live vicariously and get inspired for her next trip or meal.
