Game Changer. Show Stopper. These terms have mostly been said of
events and people who transformed something for the better. The COVID-19
pandemic has done just that – changed the game and stopped the show of our
lives several times - although for the worst. It has impacted everyone globally
without distinguishing between the rich and the poor, the old and the young.
It has reset our lives – forcing us to reimagine our attitudes,
priorities and behaviour – the way we work, our relationships, our goals, our
value systems, the way we learn and simply, the way we live!
Many of us returned back to our old ways of living after the
first wave seemed to subside. But, very soon the unforgiving virus rose again
with vengeance, as a deadly show stopper to our new normal. Scores of people
are affected, countless families are torn apart, communities are destroyed as
humanity is struggling to cope with the enormity of the pandemic this time
around.
In my discussions with several individuals from different walks
of life, some are able to talk about what they are going through but there are
so many who are unable to find the right words and muster the courage to
express their feelings.
Yet, I find that there is so much that is being said without them
speaking - their fears and anxieties, their hopes and dreams. More than words,
it is their silence and the empty look on their faces that narrate their
painful stories.
If there is one thing that the COVID-19 virus has taught us, it
is that we must live our lives in a way that no external force can disrupt it.
As we change our attitudes and behaviour to adapt to the new normal, we must
strengthen our value systems to prioritize health and well-being, empathy and
kindness, patience and pace, gratitude and giving, hope and faith. Communities
and countries can achieve this only if every individual takes up this
responsibility. The future of humanity lies, not only on institutions and
governments, but on each and every one of us.
Let us be the Game Changers and Show Stoppers of our own lives!
Let us embrace a new way of living - one with Hope, Kindness and
Gratitude.
