Lessons from covid-19: Can we learn anything from coronavirus pandemic?

A friend asked me to write an article on coronavirus pandemic. I said okay but I actually thought, I don’t know if I should.

There is already so much information circulating on covid-19, constant news and updates coming in only about coronavirus.

Is there anything new to say that’s worth some value.

We are in the midst of complete chaos, life all around the world has come to a standstill. It seems there’s no end to the bad news, deaths in thousands, poor state of the economy, businesses shutting down.

People losing not just income & things but their lives. Can there be a greater tragedy?

But I don’t want to share and add more of what’s already out there. We all know what’s happening all around the world. We all know all the to do’s & not to do’s (wash your hands & don’t go out to crowded places).

The situation is bad and times are dark. Coronavirus has pushed us to face the biggest challenges imaginable. They say bad situations are always the best teachers.

Can we actually learn something from coronavirus pandemic? If we can find & learn even a single good lesson from covid19, that would probably be the only silver lining of this really bad situation.

I can think of two such lessons which is why I decided to write this article on the grim topic. This is me trying to find a ray of hope for my own self, for you and for us.

If one can find a little hope then there’s a possibility that many may find the same as well. Because we are all connected. This is actually the lesson one.

Lessons from covid-19 | One

We are all connected:

All the individual countries of the world have become one connected whole, all thanks to globalization & technology.

You could be miles away, but that won’t stop you from having an influence on someone sitting at the opposite end of the globe.

I believe regardless of technology or globalization, we are all still connected. One who is spiritually inclined or simply sensitive & compassionate will feel this unseen connection.

No matter which country you leave in: developed, under-developed or third world, what happens in your country & to your people, will impact my country & my people.

We can not think of ourselves as separate from another. If something positive & productive is happening in one end of the world, it’s effects will reach far away beyond 7 seas.

The reverse of this is also true which we are witnessing right now. The destruction from covid-19 starting from one point & one country, spreading all over the world like a wildfire.

Lessons from covid-19 | Two

We have to take responsibility for our actions

We don’t like taking responsibility, this is the bitter truth. What makes this worse is that more than disliking taking responsibility for others, we just hate doing the hard task for ourselves. Coronavirus has taught us this lesson, we must take responsibility for our actions.

In my opinion we really need to be responsible on the following three fronts:

First

We need to take responsibility for & towards our own selves. Whether it’s our health, wellness, diet or fitness, we must not take any of these lightly. Make a routine of doing the EDBW & if possible YM.

• E for exercise
• D for drink plenty of water
• B for balanced diet
• W for walk
• and
• Y for yoga
• M for meditation

Second

After taking responsibility for ourselves, we will need to accept that we need to take some responsibility towards others. If we take the current scenario, maintaining social distance is an example of taking responsibility for both ourselves & others.

Your actions have far reaching consequences. What you cause doesn’t just involve you when it comes to facing its effects.

If you develop a little compassion, you’ll be able to think of many things to do & be responsible towards others.

Third

I’ve been thinking, have I become more aware of my surroundings? All of a sudden I’m hearing soul pleasing chirping of birds.

Birds are happy, wildlife is celebrating on the streets, our world is noiseless and pollution free. The environment is coming alive with the inactivity of us humans. It’s as if lockdown for us is breakfree for them!

We humans live as if we are outside of our environment. No, We are not outside of our environment. If we manage to destroy our environment, we will also destroy all chances of us being alive on this earth. Yes, you may find another planet to settle & start your life again, but I’m not very sure about that happening.

Sooner or later things will go back to normal & we will restart our process of destroying our own environment. Can we learn this lesson to take responsibility for our environment & maybe do things a bit different. Can we go easy on the environment & stop being selfish, materialistic fools.

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I’m going to end this article with a great quote which has made me ask myself repeatedly one question, why are we like this?

By this I mean exactly what you’re thinking, selfish, materialistic fools.

Jonas Salk once said,”If all the insects were to disappear from the Earth, within 50 years, all life on Earth would end. If all human beings disappeared from the Earth, within 50 years, all forms of life would flourish.” Here lies the biggest lesson any of us can learn from coronavirus pandemic. Don’t you agree?

Stay home, take care of yourself & please be safe.

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If you want to learn more about covid-19, here are a few useful links: 

• COVID-19: Useful Information
• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• Coronavirus information: What should I do?
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public

Thank you for reading… 

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