Article 188 - Times are tough, but so are we

Creating positive experiences and opportunities for personal growth during tough times

Many of us have found the time and circumstances in which we live in today to be extremely challenging, both in our professional and personal lives. On any given day, we are expected to wear multiple hats – we are teachers, employees, business owners, parents, husbands and wives, and in most cases, we wear all of these and other hats at the same time. Is it challenging and often hard to manage? You bet it is. Do we ask ourselves, almost daily, the following question: “Am I supposed to juggle all of these responsibilities at the same time, and do the best job I can no matter how hard things may get?” Of course, we do. I know I do. I want to be the best father and husband for my family, and I also want to be the most effective and valued contributor and a team player at work, and lastly, I want to do the best I can in supporting my children during virtual learning that they are expected to participate in. Listen, I know there are many people in this world who feel the same way as I do, and who strive every single day to be the best they can be, no matter how difficult it gets at times. Or, should I say, most of the time? However, despite all the challenges that many of us face today, we tend to ignore or not notice the opportunities and benefits that such challenging times bring into to our lives.

I am sure that many would agree with me when I say that we have been spending a whole lot more time at home with our family. Because of this, we have been speaking more with each other, we have played more board games than we had ever done before. Also, we have spent a lot more time outdoors, at the lakes, beeches, hiking trails, etc., which, in my opinion, is not only fun but also is good for our physical and mental wellbeing. Finally, many of us are spending more time exercising in the comfort of our home. This could be easily noticed by observing fitness equipment shelves in sporting goods stores, just look at the free weight’s racks, which are mostly empty at this time. So, why am I bringing up all these examples? Because, when we go through difficult times, we mostly pay attention to all the things that are bad or negative, that are happening around us or to us. However, we fail to notice and realize all the positive and good things that are happening in our world today and now. We tend to miss or ignore all the opportunities that we may have available to us, such as: spending more time and resources on our personal and professional development, growing and expanding our knowledge of various topics that we’ve always wanted to explore, but never had time to do so, and learning new skill(s), while at the same time enhancing our resume and skill set.
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So, with all challenges and negative events that may be taking place around us, let’s not forget about all the great things and opportunities that are making their way into our lives at the same time. As Sun Tzu once said: “In the midst of chaos, there is also an opportunity.”