There's a lot of good in the midst of the loss in this pandemic, are you looking for it?
Please hear me. I am not implying we should overlook all the loss and grief and pain we have each endured as a result of Covid-19. However, dwelling disproportionally on the grief and negativity we have experienced is as pervasive to our mental and physical health as this virus has been.
Each day brings us new opportunity to be afraid, or worried, or concerned, or even outraged. All of that is true.
It is also true that each day brings us an opportunity to look beyond that for the good things that are happening all around us as well.
We can choose to believe in the power of good to help us come out of this crisis better than we went into it. I shared in a recent post how we can begin to counteract the negative with the positive by changing how we move throughout our day.
But I believe we need to do more than counteract the negative with the positive to help ourselves come out of this pandemic as emotionally healthy as possible, and maybe even better than we were before.
I believe we need to intentionally look for the good around us, or even develop it ourselves.
One person CAN make a difference.
One person who has done both is John Krasinski with his Youtube channel Some Good News. Not only has he searched for things that are good, he has invited others to develop and share their own good news. His program has even inspired others to create their own outlets for focusing on the good. Episodes have been viewed up to 9 million times and he has over 2 million subscribers, all experiencing the benefits of balancing their grief with having fun focusing on the positive in this pandemic.
What's the benefit of looking for the good? Positivity in the face of a crisis we cannot control. We cannot be both negative and positive, fearful and courageous, worried and faithfull at the same time. One has to outweigh the other and cause us to act.
We have control over which one wins out.
When we choose to look for the good in what we are facing we develop positivity.
We see the effort and dedication of the doctors and nurses in fighting back against this illness and that encourages us to believe in hope.
We see the power and creativity of the educators in the face of limited learning opportunities and lack of resources and that encourages us to believe in growth.
We see the resiliency and potential for adaptation in our small business owners in the face of possible closure and that encourages us to believe in transformation.
We see the dedication of our nation's population to build a better place for all in the face of disagreements about how to do that and that encourages us to believe in healing.
As we choose to see the good, we loosen the grip of fear, worry and anxiousness and can see differently, more positively if you will, how to take out first steps forward.
Encouraging the power of good is the best way to move through this well.
I, like most of us, seem to see-saw between overwhelm at all I have lost and all the unknowns I am facing, and what I hope to see happen in the future. Neither perspective is helpful because both focus on ever-changing circumstances.
Looking for the good in others builds a foundation of positivity through which we can shift our perspective from "doom and gloom" to hopeful anticipation. As we do this, our mindset shifts from fear and scarcity to the potential for hope, growth, transformation, and healing.
Building good on our own through serving others, spreading joy, encouraging those we come in contact with, shifts our perspective from helpless to helpful. As we engage more and more in doing good we see less limitations and more possibility.
No matter where you find yourself on the spectrum of positivity today, may your search for the good decrease your negativity and increase joy, hope, and enjoyment in each day.
Join the Conversation: What good have you seen as a result of this pandemic?