With schools closing, businesses shutting down, curfews being implemented, concerts and sports events being postponed, people dying, and the global economy on a down roll spiral how can anyone look at this Coronavirus outbreak as a blessing?
I would never want anything bad to happen to anyone, nor would I ever celebrate catastrophe, but I believe we must find the good in every situation.
We must look deep within ourselves to find the lessons that we can learn from each situation — regardless of outcome.
The Coronavirus pandemic is causing panic around the world and understandably so, but I believe that we can use this time to better ourselves.
Depending on who you believe, as of this writing, the mortality rate for those infected with the Coronavirus disease in between 1.4-3%. That means that even if you’re infected you have a 97% chance of surviving (at worst).
When it comes to death, nobody wants to have even the slightest chance of dying, but could you imagine how many businesses there would be if you had a 97% chance of succeeding?
People wouldn’t give it a second thought.
There is no way of predicting the future growth of this disease but chances are that most people will never be infected by it, but will have to deal with its effect on their community.
So why do I think the Coronavirus outbreak is a blessing in disguise?
Let’s get to it:
Time to Reflect
If things continue as they are due to the Coronavirus outbreak, I expect people will be spending more time at home.
Some because of their employer’s decision to send them home (hopefully to work remotely), and others because lost jobs or a conscious decision not to leave the house unless absolutely necessary.
So what can you do with this time?
You can use it to reflect on your life and to get to know yourself on a deeper level.
Are you happy with where you are? Do you enjoy going to work? Are there things about yourself that you wish to change? What’s stopping you from getting what you want out of life?
This is the perfect time to look at yourself in the mirror and figure out what you want out of life and build a plan to achieve it.
This is can seem impossible to do when you can to worry about getting up, going to work, getting the kids ready for school, picking them up from school, dealing with work stress, etc.
We move at such a fast pace that even though we may know that there are things that we would like to change about ourselves, we can never find the time to do it, or we build up excuses not to.
Either way right now is the time to stop and focus on yourself. Figure out your path and become the person that you want to be.
Use this extra time to read books and watch videos on how to achieve your goals — whatever those goals might be.
You’re going to be sitting at home anyway, so why not use the time to become a better version of yourself?
Don’t renew your Netflix subscription and avoid binge-watching your favorite shows — instead, focus on building a roadmap that gets you from where you are now, so where you desire to be.
Family
What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.
— Mother Theresa
I was watching one of Tom Bilyeu’s interviews on Youtube the other day and was blinded by something someone said (sorry I couldn’t find the exact video).
They basically said that instead of looking at time with family by years, you should look at it by the number of times you see each individual.
In other words, if your parents live to be 79 (average life expectancy in the USA) and you see them once a year — If they are 70 years old, you have nine more instances that you’ll be seeing them, not nine more years to spend with them.
Think about that for a second. What would you do if you knew that you only had nine more chances of seeing the people you love most?
Obviously we can’t predict the age at which anyone is going to die, but if you start looking at people not by age or years but by the number of times you’ll be seeing them what would you do differently?
I believe this concept can be applied to anything in life, but for now, we will focus on family.
If you’re going to spend more time at home due to the Coronavirus outbreak why not use it to spend more quality time with your family?
Some members of your family might live far away so pick up the phone and call them or video chat with them.
Call your close friends and have a nice that with them — take advantage of this time and let them know how much you appreciate them.
Most of my family lives in the Dominican Republic so it’s not prudent for me to go visit them, but I am calling them more than ever.
At home, I am looking forward to spending more time with my girlfriend getting to know each other and simply enjoying the presence of each other.
Don’t waste any extra time that you get due to the Coronavirus outbreak sitting on the couch doing nothing.
Use this time to grow your relationship with your family and friends.
Business
Are you a business owner, looking to start a business, or working on a project to generate side income?
Business owners:
Some businesses will be hit hard by this outbreak, but even those that are hurt the most can use this time to find ways to come back stronger.
How can restaurant owners deal with the Coronavirus pandemic? They can shift focus to streamlining their deliveries and let their customers know that they will take every precaution to keep their food safe.
That might not be enough to keep sales from dropping drastically, but it’s a good start.
Business owners must use this time to figure out ways to stay afloat until things get back to normal. Also, to implement methods to better deal with similar situations in the future and to improve business operations as a whole.
Aspiring business owners
I believe the best type of business to start right now is an online business.
You can learn how to create a blog and start sharing our story online or you can use the time to strategize on how to start your offline business.
Even if your plan is to open mom and pop store or any business that’s offline, having an online presence can boost your bottom line.
People no longer ask friends or look in the newspapers when they need things fixed or when they want to find out a good place to visit.
They go on Google and search for whatever they need — therefore, as a business owner, the most prudent thing you can do is to build your online presence.
Build a website that people can visit to find out more about your business. You can sell products or make appointments through it as well.
Completely depends on you as to how you want to go about using your site, but having one is a must.
As for those of you looking to start an online business. The key is to use this time to start your blog, publish content, build your audience, and figure out how you want to monetize your new business.
Read books on how to run an online business and learn as much as you can from those who are already doing it.
Don’t fall for anyone trying to sell you their “secret sauce.” Everything you need to run a successful online business can be learned for free online.
Don’t get me wrong — if you find a good course that you feel can help speed up your process go for it, but don’t fall into the “secret sauce” trap that a lot of online marketing gurus try to sell their audience.
Being successful online is very difficult, but so is running a successful restaurant or any business for that matter. Most businesses fail for a reason — poor execution or bad leaderships in most instances.
It’s the same online. If you don’t have a plan or aren’t fully committed to making things work, the end result will be failure.
Therefore, do your homework and grind it out. In the end, you might decide that even after Coronavirus is tamed that you prefer working from home.
Side income hustlers
I love and admire people who find the courage to find ways to make extra income on the side.
I like to call them “side hustlers.” Personally, I used to side hustle when I was working in the corporate world until one day I finally decided to go for it.
That’s why I have a special connection with the people in this group. Most side hustlers start out trying to make extra income for specific things they want to acquire or pay down.
Many start their side hustles with the intention of one day being their own boss which I believe is the best thing you can do as a side hustler.
So if you’re already working on a side business below are some things you can do to take advantage of the extra time you have on your hand due to the Coronavirus outbreak:
- Study trends in your industry.
- Map out a growth strategy.
- Figure out how to run it more efficiently.
- Know how much revenue is required for you to have enough income to quit your regular job.
In other words, you must use this time to learn more about your business and figure out how to grow it to the point where it can replace your main paycheck.
Love and Kindness
I went to the grocery store yesterday to load up on some essentials in case this outbreak gets any worse.
As I walked in and went to get a cart I noticed an old lady trying to walk out of the store with her shopping cart in front of her.
Mind you that she could barely walk and only one side of the door was opened so everyone was walking in and out through the same door.
I felt bad and wanted to help, but I stood there watching to see how far people’s selfishness would go and for about two minutes this poor lady kept trying to walk out but people were so caught up in their own little bubble that they didn’t even notice her.
Some people bumped her cart walking in and when there was finally a break in oncoming traffic she gets outside and a guy rams his cart into hers and tells her to watch out.
I was shocked and felt bad for wanting to observe instead of helping, but I am glad I didn’t because that situation inspired me to write this section on this post.
When the guy rammed into her, the only reason why she didn’t fall was that she was literally using the cart as a walker and resting her arms on it.
This was the point where I was going to help, but I noticed her husband apparently went to get their car and had arrived to help her.
I refuse to believe that most people are so into themselves that they wouldn’t stop to help a fellow human being.
I challenge you to use this time to show love, compassion, and kindness to those around you.
If you have a neighbor who you know is more susceptible to the Coronavirus because of their age or health condition knock on their door and see if they need help with anything.
Even if their answer is no, go the extra mile and offer to buy groceries for them or help them with light chores around the house.
Even the smallest act of caring for another person is like a drop of water -it will make ripples throughout the entire pond.
— Jessy and Bryan Matteo
Every little bit makes a difference. Show your love to those around you during these trying times.
No one can predict how far this outbreak will go, but you can do your part in diminishing its effect by simply showing that you care.
Conclusion
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is here and it isn’t going anywhere. It’s most likely to spread everywhere before it is contained.
However, instead of hiding in your basement watching tv all-day, you can use this time to grow as a person.
Whether that be by learning new skills, showing love and compassion for others, learning more about your business, focusing on a new business, or spending more time with your family.
Use this time wisely, protect yourself at all times, but don’t freeze your life in fear of this pandemic.
Read books, play with your kids, write a new blog post, let your partner know how much you love them — whatever you decide, just make sure it’s getting you closer to being the person you want to be.
Useful Resources:
Create Freedom from Your 9-5: Guide on How to Start a New Blog
I created this step-by-step guide on how to create a new blog for anyone interested in starting a new online business, or for anyone who wants to share their story with the world.
101 Cheap or Free Ways to Have Fun with Your Kids
If you live with your kids and get sent home to work remotely check this article out. Many of the activities listed in that article can be done in the comforts of your home.
11 Kickass Ways to Make Money from Home (and Keep Your Day Job)
Coronavirus outbreak or not, if you’re looking to make money on the side, this is a good place to start.
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
This is one of my favorite books of all-time. I recommend it to anyone looking to change anything in their lives — it all starts with your thoughts.
Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven
I just recently read this book and I find that it can be useful in times like these. To get an idea of what you might find in his book watch the following speech: University of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address.
How do you plan on dealing with the Coronavirus outbreak?