- During this time of the Corona Virus, it’s important that we let HOPE garner as much of our attention, while also staying informed. I recently heard a program on NPR discussing how scientists are making good progress on testing known drugs that can treat the Corona Virus. Good work is happening behind all of the statistics. Science will win this in the end.
There is a folklore story of a farmer and his son, who worked their farm alone in order to make a living. They only had 1 horse and plow to work their fields. One day a storm came and the horse became spooked and was able to run away.
The people in the village expressed their sympathy to the farmer, saying how sorry they were that he had lost his horse. Â The farmer replied, ” Just because something bad happens doesn’t mean it’s bad.”
So the farmer and his son continued to do what they could to work the farm without their horse. Within a few days, their horse returned, followed by a wild horse. Now they had two horses. This meant they could now plow and use the other horse for other farm tasks and get more achieved in the same amount of time. The people in the village were so happy for the farmer and his son. They expressed their happiness to the farmer, stating he was so lucky now to have two horses. The farmer replied “Just because something good happens doesn’t mean it’s good.”
So the son started working with the wild horse to train him so that the horse would be most useful on the farm. During the training, the horse bucked the son off violently, and ran away, causing the son to break his leg. Of course the villagers were once again full of compassion for the farmer and offered their condolences for what had just happened. What bad luck they all said. The farmer replied “Just because something bad happens doesn’t mean it’s bad.” The villagers were very perplexed by his reactions to these events. They wondered how he could not see that these things that were happening to him were good or bad. They didn’t understand why he remained the same in all circumstances.
A few weeks pass and war has come to the country. The sons of all the villagers are called to serve and are transferred away from their homes. All the sons in the area have left, except for the son of the farmer, because of his broken leg.
The purpose of this story is to say that in everything there is good and bad. We need to always be open to looking for the good in bad situations. It may not be present at this moment, but good can come. Let’s focus on the good in TODAY.
To be as helpful as possible, here are some ideas to keep you positive and moving forward while socially distancing due to the Corona Virus.
- Focus on what needs your attention TODAY. Don’t worry about what will happen 3 months from now, or even next week. Determine what needs your attention TODAY, and focus on it. This relates to your work, your health, your family, and any other aspect of your life. Now is the time to be mindful and in the present moment instead of the past or future.
- If you are a leader, remember that you are setting the example and are very influential. Again this relates to leading your team at work, or leading your family at home. Others are looking to you for direction, leadership, and example. Ensure you are living the example that you want to set for them.
- Allow yourself a specific amount of time to keep updated with local information, or to talk to others to process your feelings. But it can’t be all day. Perhaps it’s 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour, but after that you are focusing on something else.
- Go outside if you can. The fresh air will feel invigorating and we need to move our bodies as much as we can. Maximize your social distancing in the process and take all of your precautions of course.
- Reach out to your loved ones via phone or video. When we are isolated we need more interaction. You may want to call your parents more often than you typically do. Keep your connections with friends. Yes, we are isolating ourselves physically, but we don’t have to cut off all means of connection.
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