The Few Positives of the Pandemic

This pandemic that gave us the virus known as COVID-19 has been horrible in so many ways for so many people and has sent this nation down a dark path since the first cases in early 2020 and nobody can deny this fact, it has for sure been bad.

There have been tens of thousands of deaths and more than 4-million of our citizens as well as fifteen million people across the globe have been infected with this awful virus and that is not to mention the massive job losses and the tragic economic impact that have ravaged our communities thanks to this virus.

It has been bad, very bad.

However, it has not all been bad and there have been some positives that have resulted from this pandemic that we find ourselves in.

I would like to go over some of the good things that have been positive about this here pandemic that we are in and look at how even in a bad situation like this one, there can be good to come of it. I know at times it is extremely hard to find the good in trying situations, but there is good, even when we cannot seem to find any.

Communities Emerge in the Midst of the Isolation

Online communities have been popping up left and right during this COVID-19 pandemic and this has been a blessing and a saving grace for so many who otherwise would be isolated and alone with the lockdowns and the overall alone feeling that has been caused about all of this.

Whether you are in recovery where 12-step meetings all shut down when stay-at-home orders were put into place or you just feel isolated by the pandemic without things like the gym, going to the movies, or even going to your job or school, the virtual world that is our new normal seemed to find a remedy for all of that.

For 12-steppers in recovery, the meetings became virtual and in short order, they seemed to all go online whether it be in the Zoom format or other ways online and virtual and this was so helpful for addicts and alcoholics who are in recovery.

Meetings are essential for the survival of those in recovery and when the pandemic hit and things shut down, nobody knew what they would do or how they would get by or survive, but then people got together and adapted to this new normal.

It was the presence of technology that helped people through that and Facebook communities and virtual meetings helped them through that and a real plus was that you could now go to meetings all across the globe and meet people who you otherwise would not have.

There have been other types of communities that have emerged as well during this crisis that have been a real positive thing in the middle of what is a totally difficult situation.

There are millions of Americans who have been impacted by this virus and all that comes with it.

Whether it be people who have the virus and need support or people who have been financially impacted by the virus and the shutdowns, or simply folks who are emotionally distraught by everything that has been going on and need support, it has impacted so many.

As a result, there are groups and online communities to help all of these people and bring folks together who like the recovery groups, would not have found each other had it not been for the pandemic and the online and virtual get-togethers that have been created for us.

These are real positives of this pandemic, no doubt.

The Heroes of Society are More Visible than Ever

Often times we idolize the wrong people and call the wrong professions and people “Heroes”, but during times of crisis we tend to find our identity as a nation as well as discover who are the real heroes amongst us and who should be praised during these times.

It has happened before.

During 9/11 we discovered that police officers and fire fighters were heroic and were the heroes we should praise, even though they were always this, but we just did not see it because it is only during times of crisis that we discover the truth about ourselves and our world.

During hurricanes we lean on these heroes too like FEMA workers and those who donate water or other goods. We find out who is who during a crisis and this pandemic has shown that more than it ever has and it continues to reveal day by day who are our heroes and who are the ones we can lean on for our needs when we do not know what to do.

The heroes of this crisis have been another positive about this pandemic that has changed our nation, perhaps indefinitely.

Nurses, doctors, scientists, teachers, grocery store workers, and more are the ones who have stepped up and shown up for the people of this country at a time when we were at our lowest point. These folks are the heroes of this nation and they should be praised for their bravery and courageous actions during this time.

This is a real positive as without them, we would be lost.

When many of our political leaders have focused on themselves as they often do, these people focused on the act of service and being there to help others and that is what it is all about.

When you think of what is positive about the pandemic, it can at times be a challenge to find those things as we look around and see all of the death, the sickness, and the pain, but trust me, the positives are there and this is for sure one of those positives.

The heroes are all around us and we owe them everything for how they are there for us during trying time for our nation and our world. The workers who stock the shelves in the grocery stores with the virus all around them, nurses, doctors, and first responders who risk their lives to help the sick and suffering, and teachers who are willing to teach our kids in an unsafe environment, and so on.

These are all positives during this pandemic. These people are heroic and are some positives we can find through this.

Time to Work on Ourselves from the Inside Out

Working on our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being is always important, yet we normally do not have the time to do so because of how busy we get in life and this pandemic has gave us that time to work on those things that we neglect.

We get to spend more time finding out who we are and that is a positive thing for sure.

We have the opportunity to work on our health, our mental and emotional state, and our connection to whatever we believe in and in some ways we have less stress and less on our plate and these are positive things about this thing that we all are in.

Of course, there are flip sides to this. The gyms are mostly closed so we have to come up with new ways to work out and get in that physical exercise and improvement. In this way, we must get creative and come up with these new ways of working on that part of ourselves, but we can and we make due with what we have.

In terms of emotional and mental well-being we can find time at last to look at our lives and what we want to do with it. I know for me, I have had time to write a lot of articles about the issues important to me as well as go back to school in the online format and these are without a doubt, positive parts of this pandemic.

We get to at last show up for ourselves and find out who we are and these are positive things to come from this.

Extra Money for Some, a Chance to Save and Get Ahead

This is a positive, no question.

The extra unemployment cash has given people an opportunity to save to move, save for a vacation, or to catch up on bills and expenses and if this did not happen then they would not have had this opportunity to get ahead and have more money for the time being.

The extra cash has saved so many families and has given people a chance to put some money away for a rainy day or to get things that they need and want and if this money did not come their way as a result of this pandemic, that would not have happened.

Now, of course, not everyone got this extra help and many are struggling to get by, but there are many who did and even though it was only a temporary help, it for sure did help these people. This extra bonus gave so many a chance to have some breathing room and have some joy and relief of stress at a time when we all already have enough stress and pain.

The extra money has been a positive during a time when things are very difficult financially for many Americans.

Coming Together and Realizing that We are all in THIS Together

This pandemic and certain political leaders has driven a wedge in between us all and has divided this country at a time when we all should come together to help each other through this difficult and trying time, but in many ways, we have overcome that and come together.

We all struggle with this and for many of us, we have found a great way to get through it and that is by coming together.

This of course is a positive thing.

We can only get through difficult times by having support and by supporting each other and this pandemic is no different.

The people of this country and across the globe have realized that despite our differences and despite the lack of leadership (Here in America mostly) in some areas, we can overcome and we can defeat this virus, but only if we come together as one people and one country, or world.

Stronger Together we are and this is for sure, a positive thing!

Focus on the Positives

There are many positives that we can find in this public health crisis if we look for them.

The things that I mentioned are just a few of the positives that I have found throughout this pandemic, but there are more and we can always find the good things to focus on, even at a time like this.

I was always told as a kid to be happy and smile and focus on what is good, instead of what is bad and this is a time that I feel we all should follow this age-old advice that has worked for many years and through many trying times.

I feel that if we focus on what is right rather than focus on what is wrong and painful, then we can survive this situation and any difficult time for ourselves and our world. I firmly believe that by focusing on the positive, (even in the middle of a worldwide pandemic) then we can find happiness, peace, and a way to the other side.

The opposite is true, if we focus on what is wrong, then we will be miserable and have no peace or serenity and be stuck in the problem, rather than the solution!

Focus on the solution, Focus on the positive!