HOPE

 

From the time that Covid 19 was declared a pandemic, I have been a close observer of how people have reacted. I have watched, wondered, marveled and pondered.

It has made me smile in disbelief, laugh and cringe simultaneously, wince in pain & at times, almost cry in sadness, at the way the world, and all of us have reacted, from time to time. We are a strange species indeed.  Just wonder if we are getting worse?

If you have been following the happenings of the world over the last two years, and I am sure most of you have, in some way or the other, then you will understand what I mean.  

1.  The first group of people are those that were in complete denial from day one. They kept informing all and sundry, at every opportune moment, that Covid was not so serious and would soon be over. They referred to it as the over exaggerated, Common Flu, and guffawed at everyone else for taking requisite precautions. They went about their business as if nothing was wrong, and the whole world was insane. They were super spreaders - directly responsible for spreading the virus themselves, getting more people ill than necessary, and not feeling guilty about it.  Surely the height of absurdity.

2. The second were the Defeatists. Seemingly related to Nostradamus, they declared in all their wisdom, that the world was doomed. They believed we would all die sooner than later and that the human population was being wiped out gradually and systematically. According to them, it was a well-conceived plan. They lived-in constant fear, refusing to step out of the house, even when permitted to do so. They swallowed every vitamin available with the chemist, made their own concoctions at home, and did more than necessary to try and stay healthy, and boost their immune system. More often than not, they overdid everything and lived in constant fear of either getting Covid or dying. Life was miserable but, hats off to them, they endured it manfully.

3. Then came those who blamed everyone and everything. They blamed China, they blamed India, they blamed the United States, they blamed Mr Modi, they blamed Mr Trump, they blamed Mr Putin, they blamed Bill Gates, they blamed bats, they blamed poultry markets, and they blamed the health systems all over the world for misleading them. They believed they knew exactly what had caused Covid. They called it a world conspiracy of epic proportions.  

4.Next were the anti vaxers. Now these super suspicious, ‘know it all’ humans, from the Google and WhatsApp universities, were determined that the vaccine production, testing and approval was firstly rushed & hence it would either maim or even worse, kill them and their loved ones. They believed that it was purposeless, unproductive and ineffective. They went around spreading irrelevant rumours, poking fun, and causing futile panic wherever possible, especially on social media. According to them, we didn’t need a vaccine in the first place, as it was not going to help in any way. Apparently, according to their logic, it was a method to control world population.  They felt that they had ample antibodies, were sufficiently healthy to fight off the virus, and could survive without taking the vaccine. Tragically, they tried their best to convince others not to take the vaccine as well. Surprisingly they disregarded and nullified all medical advice, irrespective of which country it came from.   

5. Lastly came those who remained calm, wise and who were not swayed by emotions. They took proper medical advice & got the vaccine as and when it was made available. They observed all the necessary precautions, attempted to stay healthy, took the normal vitamins, ate sensibly, followed the instructions of the authorities, didn’t take unnecessary risks, above all, stayed positive and lived in the hope that the world would heal and things would be better in due course.

Hope is an extremely powerful tool, and coupled with faith in God, it contributes to our wellbeing and happiness, while motivating us to be positive in body, mind and spirit.

Human beings live with a number of emotions – and at present, some of the most powerful ones which threaten to take over the world are restlessness, fear and depression. Thus, it is important to be as positive as possible, to be happy and hopeful.

In order to be hopeful, there are some things we need to remember to do.

Be content, focus on the good, spread positivity, accept change, embrace failure, include others, be friendly and approachable, worry less, avoid stress, take up a hobby, & spread love. Not easy I know & obviously, you can’t do everything and succeed every time but it’s the effort that counts.

In everyone’s life, there are times when we feel sad and sorry for ourselves and that is normal. We psyche ourselves into believing that everything is wrong with our life and good with everyone else’s. We start comparing, and the more we compare, the worse we feel. It’s happened with all of us- with our parents and their ancestors too.

However, the simple, message is – WORRY LESS AND HOPE MORE. When you address every challenge in life under the assumption that everything invariably works out, it usually does!  

 I will end with a few lines titled –HOPE

 

‘’Hope is the place where you want to go

Hope is the person you want to know

Hope is the feeling that carries you through

And hope is the future for me and you’’