Sending love, hope, positivity and a small article to help keep sane during these turbulent times.

None of the pain you go through life is ever wasted. It is hard to believe this when we are going through a tough time, but we come to accept this truth only when we have matured enough and have conquered our hurdles. Case in point the recent Covid-19 measures.

The ~3 years I was unemployed taught me how to stay positive (kind of) and a few other things that as I share, pray help you in some form or fashion as we all stay home and self-quarantine.

1. Believe that something good is going to happen and there is purpose in all of this.

Hard to believe? Our favourite chocolate chip cookie, monopoly board game, modern day supermarket and first basic printer ( then called xerograph) were invented during the great depression.

Zips, sanitary towels, tea bags and stainless steel were all inventions brought forth in or after world war 1.

Penicillin and radars ( the technology which now runs our microwave to name just one) were invented during or after world war 2.

The Great Financial Crises of 2007-08 brought forth a new era of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Innumerable hardships and negativity faced by Space-X eventually got NASA to take notice and has got us mortals excited about space once more.

I have highlighted some of the very well know and talked about cases.

We ourselves are living in better times thanks to the perseverance and struggles that our parent, grandparents and great-grandparents went through.

2. Play games

While the debate if games have negative effect on the psyche is never ending; we can definitely enjoy a game of uno, cards, pinball or the all time mass favourite Mario. Some games on VR might actually help us get up from our couches as well.

3. Read more

Instead of repeating the news on loop why not read some new articles. This is not to say that we should not keep abreast of all the important health and related government information about Covid and like but we should not let news in general paralyze our minds into fear and inaction.

Start a new book, finish that book you started, close the tabs you have open on your phone, read one of the several bookmarks saved, de-clutter your mailbox…just read.

4. New blogpost?

Reading is not something everyone likes so how about writing? Wordpress, Medium, Squarespace, and many other service providers give great options to kick start writing. Not all of us are going to be the next Arriana Huffington (Huffington Post), Peter Rojas (Engadget), Pete Cashmore or (Mashable) or Tim Ferriss (four hour work week) but each of us have incredible stories to tell. Why not start a blogpost or a YouTube channel to share your experiences and stories?

5. Start a new hobby

There has not been a better time to start a new hobby or renew your commitment to an old one. For me it is painting. The more I paint the better I get. It also helps me keep calm and direct my extra energy into something positive. Gardening is a close second.

6. Learn a new skill

Anything from learning a new music instrument, coding, cooking, 3-D modelling, video editing can be a useful skill. My favourite is learning a new language. Any time put in learning a new skill is a time invested and not wasted.

7. Supporting your local shops

While this is not something that can be done 24x7, it is one of the easiest and quickest way to earn some good karma or as I like to call God’s favour. Understandably it may not be easy for everyone to support a “ small, local shop” it is important to keep the balls on the economic cycle going. I am not talking about revenge buying but now more than ever especially the small towns that were affected by the bushfires (here in Australia) we need to support our local craft & produce and appreciate all the help we are getting. Donate, share and support as much as possible to the area that most speaks to you.

8. Financial ninja

This might seem a bit polar to the previous point but as I mentioned in another article, one of the easiest ways to enjoy life is to – give some, spend some and save some.

Now that we all have a bit of time on our hands lets figure out how much our super, 401k, NPS, pensions… are building up. Switch to better performers if you can. Read up on all the financial mumbo jumbo and gazillion acronyms financial world throws at us. Do your due diligence and invest in the future. Even if it is 10$ in savings that you have , open your demat accounts (some of them open it for free), talk to the financial guru in your circle, automate your savings, get insurance, get guidance from the net and get cracking.

9. Spark joy

Small tid bits that can “spark some joy”- Sing and praise the Lord God, have a small meeting with yourself everyday as to where your life is and where you eventually want it to be. Start journaling. Clean up your wardrobe, your garage and your garden. Fix and mend the clothes and machines that can be, throw out that can’t. Donate in kind or cash. Take better care of yourself – whether it is having in home pamper sessions, cutting on sugar or getting back to shape. Start a good habit and kick a bad one out.

Even if we cannot do a single things as mentioned above, may we at least appreciate, be kind and speak words to uplift our fellow human beings as we all go through this together.