What COVID and the pandemic have given me

Flexibility and Perspective.  

The other day I was thinking about how much COVID has changed my life, and not for the better.  I was thinking about all the ways I work differently, constantly feeling like I’m “on” and like the work never truly ends or goes away. 

And then I was blessed with a beautiful spring day.  It was one of the first warm days when the sun was shining bright, without a cloud in the sky after a long cold, and wet winter.   That day I didn’t think twice about it and decided that I was going to end work early to seize the day and take advantage of the beautiful weather, knowing I would just log back on later to finish whatever was left to do. 

We took my son out of daycare early, went on a walk by the water, went to the park, and played in the sand with our dog Beau.  It was glorious.  Truly one of the best Tuesday nights I had ever spent because it was doing what I love most: being outside, moving, with my family.  There is nothing I love more in the world. 

Then while I was sitting on the beach looking out at the ocean, while Parker discovered shells, and Beau rolled in the sand, it hit me that this is what COVID has GIVEN me. 

The pandemic gave me perspective. After so much change and so much time at a slower pace, I came to realize what was most important to me, and then I re-prioritized my life so I had MORE of it and not just fleeting moments. 

Re-prioritization of values, coupled with this new more flexible work-life allows me to choose to do what I want when I want (in moderation of course). That ability and that change are what made those moments on the beach and that Tuesday afternoon so special.  

Granted, I am in a job and industry where this is possible.  Many jobs and roles are out there where this isn’t an option, and for that, I am extremely lucky and grateful. 

With that being said, the mindset is what matters here.  Seeing what I have been given rather than focusing on what has been taken away.  That change in perspective of what I have versus what I don’t have is what changed it all for me.