8 Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been making notes on positive and negative experiences that have come with the COVID-19 pandemic. These eight “lessons” emerged, and I wanted to share them with you. This isn’t meant to be a guide or a self-help post, as many of my recent posts have been. Instead, I just want to take a moment and share some of what I’ve learned with you.

1. Figure it out; whatever the ‘it’ is in front of you today. Don’t assume there is a magical rescue coming to salvage your situation. Instead, assume you’re going to be the problem solver. Trust yourself as you make decisions and figure out who, what and how will improve life for yourself and others.

2. Be open to unexpected blessings because magical moments happen every day. It may not be a solution to your problem, but the word of encouragement, humorous situation, thank you email, donation of masks from someone you’ve never met (and never will meet), shouldn’t be overlooked. In other words, if it feels like all the doors are closing, don’t forget to look around at the windows.

3. The real unknown, which is beyond the mere uncertainty that’s a part of everyday life, is terrifying. The “not knowing” — not knowing if that person you have always admired will make it, not knowing if illness will befall someone in your family, in your church, in your circle, the list goes on.

4. A crisis brings out the best and the worst in people. When you encounter “the worst,” practice grace and assume good intentions. Treasure and express appreciation for “the best.”

5. People are all that matter. In a crisis, doing everything in our power to keep people safe is all that matters. It’s our number one job as humans to look out for each other and to consider others as well as ourselves.

6. We can never go back to where we were before COVID-19; we can only go forward. Forward can be better. We can be better people; we can be a more just, equitable, and inclusive society. We can take the hard lessons from this experience and use it to shape a better world.

7. It’s important to take moments to pause, take a deep breath, and focus on the things in life that are important to you. What do you stand for? How do you spend your time? Why you are here on this earth? Consider your legacy—what will people remember about you? These are big questions and crises have a way of bringing them to light, which I believe is a good thing.

I’m hopeful that a few of these lessons I’ve learned will resonate with you. While this pandemic has undoubtedly presented us all with unique challenges, I’m confident that it’s an opportunity for us to learn and grow. Part of that is sharing our experiences and the lessons we’ve learned along the way.