1. Nothings is in nobody’s control, whether rich, powerful or poor
The people who thought that they had everything in control, had a major shock, given by the Novel Corona Virus which is not even an organism! We took pride in our engineering, medical and space program capabilities. Some of the world leadership did not take Corona seriously and look at the impact it had on the mighty powerful USA and the European nations. The hubris shown by the rich and powerful got tossed out and man knelt down in front of Covid. For almost an year, Corona took control of the planet, how is that for a change?
2. Whatever happens, Life goes on
Businesses collapsed, economy went south, unemployment quadrupled and close to 2 million people died of Corona. People got locked in their homes for months together and doom sayers predicted huge repercussions. However, life went on, with its own ups and downs , and as predicted, about 140 million births did happen in 2020 too.
3. What you want to achieve in 10 years could be had in 10 months with technology, assisted by a grave calamity
Corona virus brought in plenty of new normals, many of which will stay continued even after containing the disease. Technology, particularly AI, Robotics, Genomics, Drug/Vaccine discovery etc., leapfrogged. What would have taken long to become reality, became necessity as a result of the calamity - the pandemic and mankind did not hesitate to changeover instantly, swallowing the humble pie!
4. Learning is never continuous, happens in spurts.
Yes, learning is life long. The survival of the fittest demands the ability to unlearn and relearn. The frequency of learning also got shortened. However learning do not go like a smooth flowing sinusoidal wave. It is more similar to a centripetal wave with its own fits and starts.
5. Do not imagine drastic things, it might happen!
While Corona was in its full fury, people dug out those movies and scientific predictions made years back, of the virus going to impact mankind in these times. What does it prove! Don’t use your imagination go wild to arrive at calamitous predictions, surely it could come true. That doesn’t give a sense of comfort to our living, don’t you think?
6. The more you defy, the more you will get hit
Like Newton’s third law, every action will have an equal and opposite reaction. So with the false pride, the moment one attempts to tie something down in a jiffy, with a greater force it will unravel before him. The proverbial patience and perseverance still continue as true virtues for mankind to manage impactful events.
7. Do not imitate, be yourself, better that way
What will make you face high impacting changes is your ability to manage them. With what quality will you face any situation? To begin with you just understand your strengths and weaknesses, your plusses and minuses so that you will know what to use when while facing situations. This calls for developing and enhancing your intra personal intelligence. Successful people are blessed with this intelligence in plenty and they will never be pretenders, but originals!
8. Don’t be strategic, be tactical in tough times
Times of calamity is never meant for long term strategic planning, for you will never know what will happen externally when. In a pandemic time as this there is no point to doing business planning for longterm. You must be tactical in your thinking do things with short windows. Look at survival as the norm, during tough times.
9. Only you can love yourself, rest is all show off
In times of calamity, you can save someone only when you are in a safe zone to do so. When you are sinking, if you attempt to save another from drowning, chances area that both will sink to death. So look after yourself first, steady you first, before you you attempt to save another. Accept this global truth and do not try to show off otherwise. Likewise, others will come forward to be of assistance to you only after they feel they are secure.
10. Keep moving and doing, even within your own space, it is called progress now, and if you don’t, you are dead!
The worst of times give us lesser mobility because we may be entangled in many challenges together, thus, restricting smooth strides. That doesn’t mean that you do nothing to stave it off and sit tight. In your own fulcrum, you should attempt to be mobile, even if that amounts to rotating. You may not have progressed further but as the right time comes, your momentum will enable you to jumpstart in life.
The only advice is to be ready to face the unexpected. The above learnings will come handy as you come face to face with grave calamities.
Here is wishing you a meaningful year ahead.
