When we are overwhelmed..Act..

The last few months have been a bit too much for many of us. The second wave of covid, and the predictions of a third one in India have made it even more difficult. The sickness or loss of loved ones, the stress, anxiety and juggling various responsibilities, while cooped up at home, is not natural to us. The situation is way above our head. We are not sure when things may change for the better. But we can stay resilient, careful and hope that we are out of the current situation soon.

The pandemic crisis has taught us a few lessons, many of which have been commented upon by various personalities over time. Here are my six learning quotes which resonate with me, and keep me hopeful and positive. Most important, they get me to do something — act in a positive manner, rather than be numbed and cocooned.

• Reach out to strengthen relationships: Actively reaching out and helping our others every single day keeps the energy and motivation going. Devoting some time to this deliberate action is like magic to uplift the mood. Sometimes one does hear bad news, but the contributory action of reaching out is uplifting to the spirit of both the giver and the taker. It focuses energy, helps daily discipline, and ensures a time and action commitment on a routine basis, at a time when all our plans are in a bit of an array.

“Yet, taught by time, my heart has learned to glow for other’s good, and melt at other’s woe.” Homer

• Compassion: This is perhaps the most important aspect which people have re-discovered. It is deep inside us, and is what makes us human. What we see around us has brought this quality back into conversations, and hopefully into our actions as well. There are so many of us who are helping out the less privileged in their own way. But compassion and empathy must remain at the core of whatever actions we take — be it friends, neighbours, family or others, and not recede with the pandemic. There is an earlier post of mine, which talks in more detail about this aspect. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/compassion-new-normal-bimal-rath/

“We live in a time when science is validating what humans have known throughout the ages: that compassion is not a luxury; it is a necessity for our well-being, resilience, and survival.” Joan Halifax

• Dealing with anxiety: We can only be effective when we are ourselves balanced and calm. Actions taken in anxiety, or when influenced by other negative emotions, can be counter productive. Building daily habits that keep us going is critical. Focussing on a specific action helps. One of my friends curates relevant content from national news sources, converts it into small bytes in the local language and sends it out to a less connected community every day. He spends about 2 hours doing that everyday, and helps connect and educate a large pool of local folks in their language.

“Concentration is a fine antidote to anxiety.” Jack Nicklaus

• Silence and support: This is perhaps the most understated one. Just being present, and not saying anything, is extremely healing and comforting. Especially in grief and when emotional support is needed. In my experience, just holding someone’s hand, a hug, or a touch can do wonders to someone going through a tough time.

“Silence is one of the great arts of conversation.”

Marcus Tullius Cicero

• Purpose: This is what can keep us going and action oriented. A long term purpose has been seen as overcoming short term hurdles, keeping us motivated and focused. For many, if this purpose is about about others — family, community or even helping strangers, it provides an inner strength and light, that cannot be easily submerged.

“For it is often through the gift of becoming undone, being in a situation that’s way over our heads, that we can understand our life’s purpose the clearest, especially how we can use our individuality to mend our undoing through a vision that better matches the potential of our Higher Self.” Hermy L McCabe

• Gratitude and positivity: This one is all about seeing the other side of the coin, and looking for that silver lining even in the darkness. It needs faith, but history and science also tell us that good times always come after bad times. Nothing lasts forever.

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” Helen Keller

Each of these quotes resonate with me, and I am sure some of them do with you as well. These thoughts, which are inspirational and uplifting, can do much to relieve our stress, make us see the many things we should be thankful for, and hope for a better future, soon.

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Bimal Rath is an author and entrepreneur. He is interested in and supports the coming alive of human potential in all his pursuits. To get a hint of his professional work in “helping organisations leverage their talent better” visit thinktalent.co