There’s no denying these are troubling times. Every one of us has been impacted by the Coronavirus – whether it’s through direct experience, seeing a friend or family member have symptoms, through reduced income, or losing your job altogether.
Our routines have completely changed. No longer are we stopping by the coffee shop on the way to work or having a quick catch up during lunch with friends. Words such as “isolation”, “distance” and “be careful” are becoming the norm in everyday conversations. The”unknown” of the potential implications of this virus is crippling many of us.
It can be hard to see through the fear, anger and grief at the moment and find any positives. But there are some. Look at how communities are coming together to offer assistance to the vulnerable. Old friends are connecting online or – shock, horror! – picking up the phone to check in and catch up, as they can no longer see each other. Co-workers are pulling together, considering how they can compromise to ensure people remain in their jobs.
The boundaries of race, religion and gender that have separated us, are dissolving as we realise that we are all in this together. We are becoming unified as we tackle this challenge on a global scale. In the face of adversity, I have witnessed compassion and empathy from the humblest of places.
But in the meantime, it can be hard to see clearly and not shroud ourselves in the constant fear that emanates at us from our screens. Most of us in the Western world have led very fortunate lives, and for some this may be one of the biggest challenges we’ve ever come across. So this is an opportunity to build resilience and come out stronger on the other side.
When we’re young, we’re fearless and have a happy-go-lucky confidence that everything will work out. When I was in my early 20s when I’d completed my degree in mechanical engineering, I had a stable career ahead of me. And then all my plans burned to the ground when I found myself pregnant and homeless, facing a future alone and broke.
I may not have had much control over what the future held but I did have control over how I chose to respond to the situation. I could have thrown my hands up, given up and just allowed life to happen to me. But that’s not me. I knew that wasn’t going to be my story or my future, so I pursued every tiny opportunity I could to make things better. I wouldn’t take no for an answer, and through every challenge thrown at me I learned to pivot and adapt to achieve the best outcome I could. Now, 14 years on, I’m running three successful businesses, one of which supports and coaches others to change their mindset to achieve their goals.
Being defeatist never gets anyone anywhere. It may sound clichéd and an insurmountable task, but resilience is a skill you’ll never regret. Being resilient doesn’t mean losing compassion or empathy, it just means you can cope with the unexpected, knowing there is hope on the other side.
I sometimes think of resilience as a bit of a trick we play on ourselves – if we act like we can overcome this, eventually we’ll believe it! Right now, things may seem pretty bleak, but remembering that we’re all in this together, and practising the art of adapting your mindset will go a long way on the journey to tackle the seemingly uncertain and insurmountable challenges we’re currently faced with.
Yemi Penn, Engineer, Transformation Coach, Author, and Speaker
