The three important life lessons I realized during this pandemic
Written by Alvaro Cordero, Grade 9
Being stuck at home because of the pandemic gave me a lot of time for soul-searching. I had the opportunity to talk to people, listen to podcasts, and attend webinars that made me think deeply and see things differently. I realized that growing through this crisis is possible through mastering our mindset, honoring our progress, and loving others as we love ourselves.
Mastering our mindset
I don’t know if you’re into podcasts, but one program made me understand that mindset is powerful. Our mind is the one which controls our body and the way we react to things. Therefore, the way we see ourselves can either make us or break us.
We have to overcome the temptation of seeing ourselves in a negative way. Once we have conquered this obstacle, we can truly begin braving the challenging seas of our lives. As the saying goes, “No one can destroy iron, but its own rust can.” In the same way, no one can truly destroy us but our own thoughts about ourselves.
Perhaps we can always have our mindset in check by examining ourselves regularly:
- How do I feel about myself now and my situation in life?
- What do I do whenever I think negative thoughts?
- Do I engage in negative self-talk?
Honoring our progress and trusting the process
As students, we want to do a lot of things but somehow we are also hesitant to experience new challenges or perhaps we’re already drowned by our present circumstances. Perhaps you’re studying for a difficult subject or trying to learn a new hobby or sport and you’re frustrated with your slow progress. Many times, we also hate the feeling of having to learn something new and committing mistakes along the way.
Being afraid about something new is normal. It’s in everyone’s system, but it doesn’t have to be our dead-end. I learned through this lock down that we always have to trust the process and honor our progress, no matter how simple or significant it is.
Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and all the greatest athletes and entrepreneurs didn’t have success overnight. We need to learn how to walk before we can run. We need to experience hardships for us to be stronger.
Many great people of history have failed so many times, but they patiently persevered. They celebrated small victories and the baby steps they took to reach their goals.
I also learned that part of the process of life is asking people for help. Whenever we are struggling it is always good to get the insights of other people with more knowledge and experience. This made me appreciate even more the fact that I have a supportive family and mentors in school.
Loving others as we love ourselves
I was always harsh to myself, cursing and babbling about my shortcomings. I would always replay in my mind all the wrong things I have done, and that made me feel bad about myself. I was too focused on what others had that I haven’t really appreciated my own talents and skills. I was too insecure of myself that I didn’t even notice my progress.
I have been to the point where I doubted my capabilities because I would see many people my age, or even younger, achieving more things than I do. That feeling of sadness consumed me, thinking that everyone had better life, school, resources, etc. Thinking of other’s progress and successes made me realize how little I am in this world.
Thankfully, I was able to overcome that unhealthy habit of being too hard on myself. I learned that self-love is key to achieving success and in helping others. How will we pour water from an empty cup? We cannot give what we do not have. We have to learn accepting and loving ourselves first as God sees us so that we can also do the same for others.
Loving others as we love ourselves begins by forgiving ourselves and accepting our weaknesses and limitations while patiently working on being better persons. This self-love can also be seen in doing things that we love, enjoying and sharing our gifts with others. In my case, I love writing and exercising, and I share these through my articles like this one.
I am very thankful that despite being in a crisis, I have been surrounded by people such as family, friends, and a very special friend who are willing to go out of their way to help me change, renew my self-image, and shift my way of thinking about life. Their presence is a proof that indeed there could be growth even during this pandemic.
What about you? What have you realized during this pandemic? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below.
