Staying the course through the middle of the storm - Things I learned during COVID.

This article was written in 2022, it was the second year we had been living in a global pandemic, and I could not wait to put this COVID behind us.

There have been many lessons that I am grateful for, a lot changed in my life during this pandemic. I became a father, and my son brought into my life the biggest joy I have ever felt, alongside a huge set of lessons. I also started having anxiety, panic attacks, and things people normally suffer through alone and don't share.

I have an uncle that will get mad when he reads this and scold me for sharing it. I love and cherish him as a second father, he has been one of the biggest influences in my life and is a strong mentor that I am grateful to have, but he is from a different generation and hates sharing feelings...

Picture Clint Eastwood, you can't imagine him having an open conversation about anxiety and fear right? Well, my uncle is like that. He would never share his feelings even if it meant saving the world.

But if you bottle all the pain and the anxiety inside yourself, you are taking away the most important part of what makes us human. Carrying on through all these feelings, and even while feeling vulnerable and hurt, pushing through to get to the other side.

When we opt to hide away these moments from our loved ones is like those Instagram posts where people pretend to be perfect while they are falling apart behind the screen, but people get used to bottling things up as they sell that look as part of their image. I get it, you want to be perceived as the epitome of success, but it carries a cost.

- So what if you are not perfect? No one is.

What is the point of isolating ourselves and adding more stress? When we can learn from our collective experiences and move forward, together, as a global tribe, practicing resilience through all this.

Webster dictionary defines it as:

"The capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused by compressive stress"

"The ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change"

Staying resilient in the middle of doubt, and staying the course in the middle of a storm, is challenging but possible: How? By addressing our fears and moments of anxiety as something real, giving ourselves a break, and having the opportunity to analyze what is causing this stress in our life. And then doing something about it.

Use this moment where you are and make a small change. One minor adjustment can go a long way. If you feel bad about being overweight, this is the opportunity to do something about it.

If you have a loved one you distanced from and have struggled to find forgiveness, guess what? COVID taught us that life is precious and that we don't have as much time on this earth as we think. Maybe it's time to make that phone call and let go, to build a bridge to change and transformation.

Maybe you have always been working around the clock running, and this is a chance to slow down and appreciate your loved ones. Transmute this pandemic through your actions, and your world will change.

It is expected to feel sometimes sad and saturated with everything we have been through. It has been a stressful time for everyone every day. Watching the news doesn't help; misinformation, excess noise, and daily statistics remind us that this is not improving.

"This too shall pass"

We had many transitions during this pandemic, as I am sure you have too. I lost people I loved to this COVID and I have faced the deep pain a personal loss brings. 

These feelings of loss have been so deep and powerful that the CDC had to release an article on its site that describes them and gives tips on how to deal with them as part of this collective process we are all going through. But this, too, shall pass.

Like every other crisis in humanity's history, we will face it together and prevail. Stay focused, stay the course. Remember that it is okay not to feel okay, to cry sometimes, to let your guard down, to allow yourself a moment and ask for help, to be human.

You will make it if you focus on what you want to achieve. Focus on family and building better relationships with those you care about. Try the things you never gave yourself the chance to experience before.

I recently tried snowboarding for the first time, spent most of the day eating snow, and injured my leg... But it was worth every second.

Change careers, learn a new skill, and move to a new space. Do what feels right to you and follow your heart. If you have doubts, it's normal—we all do. The secret is to keep moving forward.

Have faith. As Martin Luther King said:

"You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step"

The path will reveal itself to you as you walk through it. Do your best, don't take things personally, and let empathy and purpose guide your heart. You will triumph.

If you liked this article, please share and leave a comment. Let's start a conversation. I send you all my best. Thank you for reading.

With gratitude and respect,

Pedro.