COVID-19 Made my Year

   COVID19 incinerated out population, it devastated our economies, and ruined our world. That is, if you look at it from the standard POV on every news station that we so desperately latch onto. Yes, it took us all away from our jobs, which then caused us to lose income and if you’re anything like myself, it suffocated you financially to the point where you have considered that you may actually be on the “con” side of the Oppenheimer uproar.  Staying home for the last 6 months have not only broken marriages, separated families, damaged friendships and quite literally torn people to pieces from loss of loved ones… 

But if you’d just look at all of the good that it may have caused

What did you do for yourself in that timeframe? I get it. I do. 6 long months was in no way easy. However, that never meant that the work stopped (little to many’s beliefs). Day in, day out, you should still be doing the things that make your life thrive; whether that be journalling, writing, reading, creating whatever it is that you love to create, building things to enjoy yourself (or for others to enjoy), adventuring, finding new ventures, new hobbies, getting to finally do that thing that you so desperately wanted to do, spending time with loved ones that you never had the time to spend time with. 

Pre-Covid; we lived a world full of “If I had time I woulds”… What is your excuse for the last six months? WE. HAD. SO. MUCH. TIME. What stopped you? 

My personal largest difficulty was money. I overspent, I had not handled my debt. I had nothing under control. Going to 30% of my income put me into financial ruin. So I adapted, I taught myself how to budget in ways that I never imagined I’d be capable of doing, I stayed in, I learnt to cook for myself, I prepped meals (and lord help me, I used a microwave). In that time, I adapted just enough to be able to financially hold myself just enough so that I could afford to drive as far as my Jeep would take me, I camped in crown land, I penny pinched by returning bottles, I did the things that I needed so that I could enjoy the things I wanted (the simple things, let’s not get carried away). I accomplished hikes that I had only dreamt of in my past, I became so capable that I look at what I used to dream of today as my “average” and this world became a new beautiful place for me. I stayed in so often that I’d spent entire days working on (and completing!!!) my certifications to advance myself in my persona career choices. I took my mental health seriously, I took steps to develop myself even farther, I focused on writing and self-awareness, I wrote and wrote and hell, I wrote. I budgeted enough to be able to be home for the arrival of my sweet little niece that came into this world not long ago, and managed to make these things work in the best of my ability… All things that I would have never accomplished had I had to work. Instead there would have been that exact “If only I had time” excuse that we so frequently utilize. 

COVID allowed me to take on the world in ways that I never imagined I could handle. I know that many of you are lost still, many of you don’t quite see how this awful thing could become a beautiful accident. But I ask you, please look at all of the incredible things that you have managed to do. No matter how small, you finally had “the time” and your “would” became a “did”. Cherish that. 

Even if that something is as little as finally emptying out your storage room in your apartment.