Finding Peace During The Pandemic – PART I

When the whole world suddenly turns upside down, what should we do? The normal life that we were used to living ever since we opened our eyes to this world, has suddenly changed out of the blue. Schools, colleges, restaurants, parks, and all the places that were close to our hearts are locked up. We can’t meet our friends; we don’t feel safe going out anymore. Everything we took for granted all these years is not part of our daily lives anymore. That can cause a lot of anxiety, tension, and stress. And it has happened to everybody all around the world.

But the real question is, how should we find peace in the middle of this pandemic? What would save us from going insane? What would give us inner peace and relief in these tough times where hope is dim?

Well, let me clarify one very important thing to you. Anxiety, tension, and stress are all caused by one specific thing in our lives, the inability to control situations.

When we are not able to control events, situations, and thoughts in our lives, we become stressed and burnt out. Even finding peace in the brightest of things becomes hard and this is the main thing that drives most people to the verge of depression and anxiety.

In these unprecedented times, we are experiencing all of the things which are not in our control. We are forcefully being pushed into a lifestyle that we do not want but have to carry out for the sake of safety. This inability of control never let us find our inner peace because we are always pushing against the things that are out of our reach.

And that is the main thing which we need to focus on. Sometimes accepting that we cannot change some situation or some things can give a great deal of peace.

Paul Auster:
“The world is so unpredictable. Things happen suddenly, unexpectedly. We want to feel we are in control of our own existence. In some ways, we are, we’re not. We are ruled by the forces of chance and coincidence.”

Resilience is the key to finding inner peace and happiness. And in my personal experience, I have learned that families and communities are the key factors that build resilience. We need to know the things that we have control over and what are out of our control. Letting go of what we cannot control and coming together with the people that we love is the major factor of inner peace.

For me, it even came to the point where I had to make a mental note of the things that are out of my control and a list of things that are within my control. Doing this made me realize that it’s easy to come to terms with things that are within my control, but sad enough, it’s very difficult to let go of the things which I have absolutely no control over! For example, I cannot control the things that are happening to others around the world (but pray and fervently hope for a better world). I cannot control that one of my best friends lost her job because of COVID-19 (very sad). But what I can control is how I handle the situation. I can send her funny memes or texts back and forth, pray with her and for her. I can lighten other’s moods by spreading words of joy and inspiration, and love amid tension. Instead of worrying about my inability to do certain things, I can focus on the things that I can really do and so should you!

Brian Tracy:
“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.”

Hope you’ll come back next week for the concluding part.