One of our greatest gifts as a human is the ability to choose where we put our power. We have the choice to be the panic or to be the peace.

Photo by Amir Afham

We are witnesses to something much greater than we could have ever anticipated—the global pandemic of COVID-19. While fear levels rise, there is also a profound sense of peace waiting for those willing to find it.

Like many of you, I watched grocery stores deplete all of its toilet paper and cleaning supplies. I watched the meat department get bought up by the dozen for a single household. I even found myself wondering, “what about the Nanny who couldn’t get here yet?”

One of our greatest gifts as a human is the ability to choose where we put our power. We have the choice to be the panic or to be the peace; but you cannot be both.

So while the most of the world focused on chaos this is what I chose to foucs on:

The waterways in Italy became clear
The air became clean
The animals began to return
Families and people went outside
People formed communities
Self-care and self-love became a priority
People united

“The truth is that the best way to calm a storm is to remove the wind.”⁠—Melanie Legend

As a society, we’ve grown accustomed to being fast-paced that we forfeit the privilege of knowing what it truly means to live. You can’t admire life if you run past it.

This moment is a gift. It is a gift to find the silence in yourself that you were afraid for so long to see. Take this as a grand opportunity to pause and reflect truly.

Are you happy where you are?
Are you living to your fullest potential?
What patterns need to change?
Where can you show up better?

And deep down, you realize that this is more than a pandemic, it is an opportunity to come together to find love, appreciation, and kindness, and to support one another. And through this global crisis, we come together to unite the world.

And while it may be a time of darkness, it is balanced by a moment of light.

If COVID-19 has highlighted anything, it is that we genuinely can’t do this without each other. And maybe in some divine way, this is our greatest teaching lesson. We are more powerful together.

From the Editor
At Conscious, we feature powerful stories about global initiatives, innovation, community development, social impact and more. You can read more stories like this and connect with a growing community of global leaders when you join Conscious+.