Can we talk positively for a moment?

I’m always impressed and, in some cases, shocked by human resiliency. Whether it be someone bouncing back from a period of depression, climbing out of debt, overcoming immense adversity, or learning to live in the shadow of grief, humans time and time again prove that they are resilient in the face of obstacles and storms.

When we face an insurmountable challenge, our character is tested—and it is often only through these challenges that we become the people we were always meant to be. It is only when we truly can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel that we are forced to take stock in who we are—and who we could possibly be. Grief and loss—impossible to overcome at first—teach us compassion. Financial struggles teach us to be frugal and prudent. Work and social strains teach us patience. And through it all, we become stronger as individuals.

So what about a shared, global challenge? What happens when, together, we are thrust into something strange and unfamiliar with no answers from the ones we normally expect guidance from. There is no light at the end of the tunnel that we can see, and yet we know—we tell ourselves over and over—this can’t last forever. How then do we tap into our collective resiliency as a species?

We do so by remembering that we’ve done it before; both collectively and on an individual basis.

Whether you feel the fears and anxieties around COVID-19 are an overreaction or an appropriate answer to a global pandemic, the reality is as a species, we are stressed. Your friends and family are feeling the uncertainty and worry over what will happen next; day by day and hour by hour. And through this stress, our character is being tested. Through this, we discover—together—what really matters, what’s been missing, and most importantly: what needs to change.

It’s too soon to say how this (perhaps just the fear and worries alone) will change us. We will, in the meantime, learn to go with less, learn to think of others ahead of ourselves, and learn to fight for what is right as we face financial strain in the wake of lock-downs and government restrictions.

We will be better for this—and truly, as a species we will be okay. Coronavirus anxiety is quickly becoming a real thing—and of course it is. This is new. This has no answers. And it’s difficult to say how long this period of uncertainty will last. Through it, we are being asked to change our behaviours to help ourselves, our friends, our families and our neighbours across the globe.

This will not be the last time we will be asked to do this. But because of this, we will be ever-more prepared going forward. And we will become stronger and stronger. We will learn how to combat those anxieties as we learn how to combat the virus itself. Just as our personal burdens are new and unfamiliar when they hit us, so too is this shared experience. And like all our hardships, we will see it through.

In the meantime, take a moment to breathe in, notice what matters, and see how you can do your part in this global fight. This is happening to us, yes. But we can choose how to react. We are resilient in the face of paradigm shifts. This virus, and the pandemic of worldwide anxiety and fear will be no exception. I’ve been listening to “Peace Train” by Cat Stevens a lot lately: “I’ve been smiling lately, thinking about the world as one.” Now, more than ever, we are forced to be as one.

So can we talk positively for just a moment? We’re going to be okay. I, like many others, am feeling the anxiety; the uncertainty of what’s ahead. But through that, I choose to push past where my mind and worry wants to take me. And I, along with all of you, will be better for it.

Financially, mentally, as a global community—we’re going to be okay.