The 5 Best Things about Life’s Disasters
What’s COVID good for?
We all know that the pandemic has caused unparalleled devastation in terms of loss of life, ongoing illness, and economic disruption. But, as we all move to regain business stability and personal productivity, it is useful to reflect on the positive side of the COVID and other serious crises in one’s life.
Photo by Branimir Balogović on Unsplash
Psychologists sometimes call this Post-traumatic Growth. Here are some specific and valuable lessons about human and societal behavior we can learn from living through personal crises like COVID-19.
1: Disasters Blast Us Out of Inertia
Humans do not like change. We follow Newton’s First Law and our behavior tends to stay “at rest” until there is a strong outside force acting on us. Disasters push us to action and force us to cope, often unlocking hidden positive skills and abilities that would have remained unseen in the absence of personal catastrophe.
2: Disasters Force Us to Reprioritize
Personal disaster makes us immediately see what is important and what is not. Think about it. Before the pandemic, what did you think were the most important priorities in your life? Have they changed in the last year?
Disasters help us re-tune our values, which often leads to greater productivity and happiness in the long-term.
3: Disasters Help Us Find Meaning
Severe upheaval in our lives often forces a re-assessment of the meaning how we work and live. Disasters often create a forced pause, with the imperative call to step-back and take stock of where we want to go, and what we want to become.
I have met so many speakers and other business entrepreneurs who have launched highly successful and rewarding careers because of the personal crisis of “failing” by losing a job or a personal relationship.
4: Disasters Push Knowledge
Profound improvements in technology and safety are the direct consequence of disaster. For example, the inability of 9-11 first responders to easily communicate with each other to coordinate rescue efforts directly led to the massive improvement and national standardization of US disaster responses.
Similarly, the medical advances made as a result of COVID-19 will have far-reaching positive consequences that will reach beyond the disease itself.
5: Disasters Change Culture
Large disaster impact like COVID-19 have and continue to change our entire society. While in the short-term, some of these changes may appear to be highly negative, there are positive elements that need not be overlooked. The pandemic has forced the beginning of a global effort with one goal - the eradication of the virus.
Disasters like this can be a catalyst to further world-wide unity in reaching yet unseen positive goals impacting us all for years to come.
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