The Patience COVID has taught us!
I’ll be honest with you. I’m a pretty impatient person. I want things done yesterday and I don’t like waiting. It’s an area of improvement and growth for me, along with being flexible. When I’m hyper focused, I tend to be rigid and I am certainly not naturally wired to “go with the flow!” Having said all of that, I feel like COVID has forced a bit of patience and understanding on all of us during the past year.
P – Present
This forced slow down has made many of us pause and enjoy the moment. There has been an increased awareness of our humanity, fragility, and our ability to adapt. We’ve been forced to slow down, take stock and be grateful for our health and celebrate if we have been able to keep jobs and businesses running while so many others have suffered tremendously!
A – Adaptable
Whether we were a buttoned-up banker, lawyer or other professional, we adapted to living from home. We leaned in to the change where pets and children sometimes made a debut on our Zoom calls. Supply chains have been impacted in an insane way, causing delays which have made us have to accept and adapt. I recently bought a pair of pants from the States. They should take 5 days to arrive, as of the time of this writing I’m on day 17! And the lesson from it, I will not die if those fabulous camo pants arrive in another two weeks.
T – Transformative
Looking back to pre-COVID days, life was going pretty smoothly for me. I had a decent routine, a job I thoroughly enjoyed and a great homelife. The last twelve months have been transformative is so many ways that I’m eternally grateful. People I coach share how they have embraced their spirituality again, literally transformed their bodies and decided on making bold moves in either their relationships or careers. Whether for the positive or the negative, no doubt COVID has transformed our lives in a profound way.
I –Intentional
I’ve always been a busy entrepreneur and leader but not necessarily an intentional one. Can you relate? Where you feel like you’re ticking a ton off of your large to-do list but you’re uncertain if you’re moving the needle forward or contributing in a purposeful way? I believe COVID has made many of us become more intentional and introspective. This seems like the perfect “shake up” to reset the way that many of us were living. For those who have embraced the struggle and change and steped out in a courageous way to follow an intentional path, this will be a meaningful chapter in their life story.
E – Engaged
It isn’t until we’re forced to be separated from friends and family that we realize just how social we really are. The gift that COVID has presented us with is the awareness to bring a different level of engagement when we do get to physically be in the same space as our favourite people. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and lockdowns make for more engaged spirits when we get to be in one another’s company. Surface level chatter is replaced with a deep sense of gratitude for the moment spent together in richer conversations.
N – Necessity
Many of us were forced into a mode of “necessity” in order to survive. Our business dropped 90% when COVID hit, 90% y’all!! That is bananas. We had to quickly pivot and adapt and add divisions to our company like VirtualEventSwagBags.com and SigmaU! We raised our level of necessity to make ends meet, to save, to prepare, to plan for another round and it made us all come together and become stronger for it!
C – Courage
It’s taken courage for many to simply get out of bed and show up! It’s been a time filled with challenge and setbacks, especially for entrepreneurs and leaders. We’ve had to face challenges and be courageous enough to know when we had to restructure, downsize or in some cases close our doors and walk away. For others, it was the courage to leave a relationship that we realized was toxic or start a new career path. COVID created an urgency for action and that takes courage!
E – Empathy
COVID has created a community of more aware humans. We are able to cheer others on who are thriving, while holding space for those who are really struggling right now. It has given us a new sense of awareness to others’ struggles. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a full-time or part-time job right now. Many are unable to pay their bills or literally know that they have savings for two more months and then they’re bankrupt. This time has really made us see the importance of compassion for others who are not faring as well during this time.
So, while I’m a proverbial “Tornado” as my mother affectionately referred to me, I can take a moment to recognize that, while COVID has shown me the lowest lows, I’m growing into a better human as a result.
