By: Alaina Valdespino, Staff Writer
Maybe It's just me, but some days I wake up feeling like it's the same old story. That minutes become hours, hours become days and somewhere along the way the leaves turn and the calendar changes. Maybe it’s the uncertainty. The dysfunction perhaps? Either way, it’s like I'm stuck in this cycle of not knowing when things will start to be normal again.
And sure, I could blame the elephant in the room that is COVID-19. Or pin it on 2020 like most Gen Z Twitter users. But at the end of the day, what good does that do?
Does it really make a difference to know that the trajectory of my life is being altered because of things I can’t change?
Again, maybe it's just me, but some days I wake up feeling like it’s not going to be a great day. That things aren’t perfect. And you know what, that’s ok. It’s the circle of life. One day is sunshine and rainbows and then next is just a feedback loop of turmoil and struggle. That might be the anxiety talking, or the fear of not being as in control as I may want to be, but regardless of what it may be, that’s how things are right now and at the end of the day, that’s valid.
If there is one thing this COVID stricken semester has taught me, it’s that having these feelings of uncertainty is merely human. Some days we wake up dysfunctional and that’s valid. Our feelings are valid and despite the absurdity of these times, we always have the opportunity to see the light at the end of the tunnel. So, rather than exhausting my efforts looking for someone or something to blame for the craziness and adversities in my life, why not try to overcome them? Instead of letting the clock tick and the days pass by, why not use this time to my advantage. To use it as an opportunity to better understand myself and to grow from all of the turmoil that this pandemic-centered era has thrown at me?
COVID has caused a lot of change, more specifically, a lot of unwanted change. I wasn’t ready to completely adjust my life to wearing masks and not hugging my friends, but that’s how things are. Sure, I could see it as my glass being half empty, but wouldn’t that also mean that my glass is half full?
Perspective.
We’ve all been given the opportunity to see the good in this unprecedented situation and to rise above it. To see these obstacles not just as something to get over, but as something to learn from. We have that capability. To turn our adversity into triumph. To not only adapt to the adversity, but to come up with new ways to see things in a brighter perspective. We’ve all had this curve ball that we call COVID-19 thrown at us. We’ve all been dealing with the insanities that have accumulated in 2020. It’s impacting all aspects of our lives.
So whether it’s one of those days where you wake up 5 minutes before your Zoom lecture and leave your camera off because you’re wearing pajamas, or when you wake up ready to be the most productive version of yourself possible, know that it’s your decision to see things better than they are, to be as grateful as you can for the opportunity of growth that this year has given you, and to be ready to get up each day and continue to triumph over your turmoil.