Life has always allowed humanity to go through difficult times, but the question is WHY?

We need to realize that when everything is going well and the wind is blowing behind us, our tendency is to relax and we become carefree. Many people imagine that they are self-sufficient and forget about the external world. In the blink of an eye, an invisible enemy can appear to take the lives of thousands of people with no regard to the status in society, class, or gender. What happens to the powerful? Will their money and power stop the virus from spreading in pandemics like these? We have seen just how fragile and insignificant we are. This is the time that makes us stop and reflect. It’s only during the storms in our life and the toughest times we face when people humble themselves. A journey through the desert teaches us much more than the comfort of green pastures. During a crisis, we don’t always change but the situation changes us.

Related Articles:

• 10 Reasons Why Children Don’t Listen to their Parents
• 10 Back to School Health Tips for Parents
• 11 Reasons Why Reading Is Important For Children

Most people have spent their lives building their houses but they forget that its foundation is on the sand. And eventually, those houses collapse. One thing is certain, whoever builds their lives on the rock will go through storms and remain unshaken. Storms confront each and everyone but only those who trust themselves are able to remain safe. These storms are not meant to throw you in the lion’s den or throw you on a fiery furnace but are meant to make you stronger. This is the time to awaken and to value your relationships and remain positive. That is the only thing that will help you sail through the tough times. So let us understand how to be positive and realize the power of thoughts.

Covid-19 has brought up negative feelings such as anxiety, fear and helplessness. It’s time to understand the power of human thoughts. Let us go through the journey of World War II and understand how we are so lucky to be in this era.

During World War II, millions of prisoners were put in cells where they were tortured. They had to undergo torture physically and emotionally. They saw their loved ones dying in front of their eyes. When they were witnessing the death of their relatives and friends, they started to feel that they were also going to die soon. And this feeling was very painful and unbearable and they died due to the shock. During the world war, several camps were built to house the war prisoners. In one of those camps, was psychologist Dr. Viktor Frankl. He wrote the book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ which included all his experiences and the torture that he witnessed in those cells.

As we self-isolate or quarantine because of Coronavirus, let us compare our situation with that of prisoners during World War II.

Dr. Viktor was shifted to the cells along with his family, but soon they passed away. He then shared his cell with someone who one day shared with Dr. Viktor that he saw a dream. In his dream, there was a voice that asked him what he wanted to know. The prisoner asked, “When will I be freed?”. The voice replied saying, “you will be freed on the 30th of March”. Days passed by and on the 29th of March, when he saw no hope to be released, he fell very sick and he died on the 30th of March.

To everyone, it seems that the prisoner died due to his sickness. But Dr. Viktor knew that he died because of his hopelessness. A person who does not have any hope for tomorrow does not have any dreams; so they lose the will to live.  The biggest lesson of the book was that not the problem, not the betrayal of the loved ones, not the challenges of life, but a person dies if he or she loses hope.

Dr. Viktor noted that most of the deaths at the prison occurred between Christmas and New Year because people hoped that they would be released on Christmas. But when that did not happen, their hopes were broken and they passed away.

Whenever a person’s expectation is over, their immune system becomes weak and when the immune system becomes weak, death can occur even after a minor disease. There should be a long-term goal that motivates one for tomorrow. Today’s problems become very small when one lives for their dreams. If your dream is big, if your commitment to your dream is big, then the problem faced by you during a crisis can become very small.

We can cope with the current situation very easily. You have to protect yourself, but do not panic and do not let your hopes run out. When any illness enters your body, the body becomes weak but your mind is very strong. Never lose hope.

Dr. Viktor said that he was able to stay in the torture cell for three years because of his dreams, goals and willpower.  He had a dream to write a book and this helped him overcome his problems. When you face a problem, you attach a meaning to that problem. This meaning will either increase or eliminate your problem. For example, you planned to go out, but the minute you leave your home, you see that your car tire is punctured.

At that moment, what do you think? ”Why did this happen?”. You have attached a negative meaning to the problem. From a different perspective, you could consider that you’ve just been saved from an accident. You can be thankful for spotting the flat tire beforehand and could avoid a grave accident.

Because of our negative thinking, we tend to see the negative side of everything. We fail to see the positive things around. During Covid-19, we are focusing on everything negative around us such as increasing numbers of cases, number of deaths, etc. Can we look at the positive side of Covid-19? How many of us have spent quality time with our families before the Covid-19 situation? Many people started reading books, they were never into reading before. The concept of cleanliness has drastically changed and we all have started washing our hands so frequently. The sky is so beautiful and the air is so fresh now. It looks like nature has pressed the ‘reset’ button.

Focus on positivity. Everything can be taken away from you; wealth, home, children, parents, even your dear friends. But one thing that cannot be taken away is the power of choosing your attitude. The power of making a decision is 100% under your control. Choose to cry, you can keep crying all your life. But if you choose to be positive then the sky is the limit.

It’s a cycle – one negative thought leads to another. People were never aware of such things and there was a lack of information and resources in the past. The best time is now and as people are aware, there is so much information and plenty of resources around us. Let us put our hands together and bring in the best future. It is amazing so keep reading, keep learning, keep enjoying and keep growing.