When the COVID-19 broke out about an year ago, people worldwide had no clue how to save themselves from this dangerous virus. In the last 12 months, the world has seen over 1.2 Million deaths; over 30 million people have been saved.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits have gained a lot of popularity and importance, as they came out as a crucial protective element to safeguard medical professionals (to begin with) and ourselves from infections or viruses. PPE Kits have played a massive role in minimizing the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 virus from one person to another.
The most popular question everyone seems to be asking these days is, "When will things be back to normal?"
I am not quite sure if things were normal in the pre-covid world, though.
COVID-19 has been no doubt stressful for a lot of people. Not just fear and anxiety about the disease, but actions such as lockdown and social distancing have made people feel isolated and lonely, so much so that we have struggled to come to terms with the changed equation.
People are unhappy with everything that they have lost. While Young professionals are sad about losing a fantastic opportunity that they got, experienced professionals are upset about lost promotion or compensation hikes.
Millions have lost their livelihoods, and millions more are at risk from the global recession. The Pandemic has impacted mostly those communities which were already at a disadvantage. Even in India, we saw the daily wage earners or migrant laborers go back to their hometowns or villages because they had nothing else to do. The labor market in many industries has significantly changed forever.
What do we need to survive through this Pandemic?
All of us should focus and channelize our energies in staying safe and seeing through this situation. It makes one wonder about what one can do to survive through this and yet lead a “New Normal” life.
That's where the PPE Kit comes to play again. In this case, however, PPE stands for Purpose, Passion, and Empathy.
"The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for." ―Fyodor Dostoyevsky
COVID-19, especially the lockdown phase, has disrupted many lives. We can consider this as a golden opportunity to take stock of what we have done so far and check if they are in alignment with our ultimate purpose. It was a matter of a few days; for some, and the rest, it was a matter of a few months. Maybe, some people are trying to find their purpose even today. But the key is to find the right purpose.
Whenever I think of purpose, I am reminded of my childhood. Most of our relatives, or teachers would ask, "What do you want to be or what do you want to do in your life?" Our responses, too, would typically be a reflection of a famous character we have heard about or was inspired by. It could be a doctor, police, or even superheroes.
In 2020, as we battle this Pandemic, your response to this question requires us to get inspired by the good things around us. Gratitude plays a huge role in learning to see the good despite all odds.
So, have you figured out your purpose Yet?
"Passion is the genesis of genius." —Tony Robbins
I used to sing when I was young, OR I used to play guitar in my yesteryears. I used to write a lot until this happened, but don't get time these days. These are typical responses we get to hear from quite a lot of people.
As they say, love what you do or do what you love. But our daily grind made us forget our passions, as we kept chasing our pensions.
Passion has fueled an entire economy of its own, where people have worked hard to monetize their passions. If not for that, the world wouldn't have seen so many talented people like Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, Sundar Picchai or Jeff Bezos make it big! The list is endless!
So, have you found your passion yet?
Empathy is about standing in someone else's shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes. Not only is empathy hard to outsource and automate, but it makes the world a better place. -- Daniel H. Pink (Author, Motivational speaker)
For humanity, this was an opportunity to think about people beyond themselves.
There are countless stories about how skillfully and with all their hearts, people have worked selflessly to save millions of lives around the clock. What motivates them, is it money? I don't think so.
Professionals and Businesses need to work to find newer ways of understanding consumer needs (not wants). Because only if we work towards understanding needs from a consumer's perspective, will we even have an opportunity to win him/her back!
How much time do you spend understanding your customer's/client's needs every day?
COVID-19 is here to stay for some more time. Moreover, we will continue to see many such disruptions that will impact everything around us. The key is to make our lives future proof by using both PPE Kits.
Have you brought your PPE Kit yet?
Stay safe, maintain social distance and be positive, yet COVID-19 negative!
Note: All views expressed in this article are personal and do not represent the opinions of any entity whatsoever with which I am, I have been or I will be affiliated.