Yes! I survived 2020 babyyyyy. Screamed one random young man next to me on new year’s eve. I assumed he must have had a hard time in the past year and he is glad to see it passed.
Plans and imaginations might have been different among billions of people around the world for the entire 2020. Leisure travels, emergency travels, medical procedures, family trips, weddings, buying your first dream home, starting a career or first day of your first job all of which were put on hold indefinitely. Although we said goodbye to 2020, the impact and aftermath of the pandemic still remains with us. It had been one of the toughest times in the 20th century and digital world that left us with bruises and hiccups. Fear, frustration, anxiety, depression, stress & boredom ruled the year. Mankind alone was not affected but animals & birds too felt the pinch of 2020. Since humans were trapped indoor animals & birds were left by themselves. On the contrary, mother nature started healing, birds got the sky all by themselves without interference of manmade wings. Humans were caged and animals roamed freely on roads, air pollution was under control.
Putting aside all the bad & worse of 2020, An optimist found positive effects of the lockdowns, Opportunist found various opportunities and planned some to execute. Realist wrote down difficult life lessons and vowed to figure out solutions. Pessimists, whining & complaining people (which is the majority on the planet) on the other hand spent time blaming Countries, Government & local authorities. And they sincerely enjoyed the conversations with like minded people.
We are here to look at positive perspectives, lessons & opportunities that unravelled in 2020.
1) Health
2020 showcased that you cannot ignore & neglect your physical well being anymore. Hospitals declined entry for simple stitches to all fever patients, who were left to die. General practitioners closed shop for a long time. Bribe was a mandatory norm for all developing nations to admit a patient. While the world was counting COVID patient counts. People everywhere died due to late or no hospitalization for non-covid related diseases. This is extremely disturbing at the same time eye opening. Periodic health checks & blood tests along with doctor consultation will help you resolve or start treatment for health issues.
2) Health Insurance
Educated people in developing countries are ignoring health insurance. As a result just 5% of Indian population is covered by insurance. Pandemic saw people go broke with non-COVID related hospitalization and inflated hospitalization costs. Untimely medical emergencies and unplanned layoffs caused bankruptcies and surge in loan shark debts. It is time to consider health insurance to cover future health risks & shockers.
3) Another Income source
As Warren Buffet said “If job is your only income source then you are 1 step away from poverty”. This logic proved to be accurate in billions of people’s cases. Everyone who was sitting in their comfort zone & thinking they will always have that 20 year old job got a handsome kick on the back. Time and situation proved them wrong. Worst affected were daily wages workers who would not have imagined months without a job and ended up starving. Tourism & Airline sectors were brought to their knees. It caused heavy losses & layoffs. Now is time for everyone to plan and ready at least 1 alternate income stream which will help to put food on the table when there is no job.
4) Ask for help
“Crying babies get milk and silent babies sleep hungry.” said a wise man. We saw that on the largest scale in 2020. People who desperately needed help were shy of asking. Due to that hesitation many people sold household items to survive. Daily wage workers & poor people were seen sorting garbage for food. Pride before necessity and society image before stomach approach was most disheartening and made people to unpleasant things. Every person in need forgot that there is at least 1 good person for 100 naysayers who will try to help. He/She will give food or supplies if not money. Those who shy away from asking were left struggling. Give your best to find a way out and ask for help when needed. Remember no one will know what you are struggling with if you dont speak.
5) Use of time & Opportunities
While the entire world was busy complaining about China, economy, COVID, family and 2 trillion other things. Some bright minds were plotting simple yet genius plans to use time. Professionals got busy with upgrading skills & grabbing certifications. Fitness goals were set and achieved by some. Online training portals ruled 2020, and people used the free trials to the fullest. From cooking lessons to make up to social media influencers, kids to grandpa’s took those classes. But hey, it’s never too late to learn something new.
“Opportunists & optimists see the donut while pessimists will see the hole”. 2020 proved that optimists can become opportunists and begin a new tomorrow. We saw a significant increase of solo entrepreneurs and home based businesses around the world. Housewives started cooking at home and selling to others. Internet enthusiasts started online blogs, websites and social media projects. Chef’s were opening food stalls which were considered a poor job. Cruise ship worker started a cocktail bar on whatsapp where cocktails will be home delivered in 5 km radius. Smart and Doer’s found & built the way to grab new opportunities. So many success stories published on the internet are proving the naysayers and pessimistic people wrong. If you have the idea & will to do it then find a way and do it.
6) Importance of people
2020 saw the demise of family members, celebrities, artists and many more, to all types of diseases including COVID. Grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters & close friends. So many people lost their family members, life partners & friends last year. Non-residents & distant working people were the worst affected as they couldn’t visit their most important people during their last days . It is a reminder to us all to spend & cherish time with family & friends. No amount of money can bring back the people who were the architects of you and bring happiness.
Build a life, cherish time with loved ones, find those opportunities, create another income stream and have a healthy 2021.
