Over 1 million Americans infected with COVID-19. Over 60,000 people dead. Over 30 million unemployed. This is a really hard time for a lot of people. In fact, calls to suicide hotlines have gone up over 1,000% since the pandemic hit. It’s tragic.
This is a historic time. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my lifetime. You probably haven’t either.
If you’re like most people, you’re probably struggling. And you may be filled with questions—about the disease, about the economy, about the future. But there’s one question you probably aren’t thinking about that is actually the most important.
Why is the World a Better Place Because You Breathe?
I remember a time when I couldn’t answer this question. I had been diagnosed with cancer, and it felt like the world had stopped. As a result, I fell into depression, and I felt hopeless. In fact, I wanted to be dead. Every day, I would pray that God would just let a truck hit me. Being without hope is the worst thing I’ve ever been through.
You may be feeling anxious, depressed, or hopeless these days. When the pandemic hit and we were told to shelter in place, it felt like the world stopped. You likely had worries swirling in your head:
- Do we have enough food?
- Are my kids going to get sick and die?
- Will we have enough money to pay the mortgage?
Your fears may have driven you to stay glued to the news with its frightening statistics and gloomy forecasts. Our brains are hardwired to pay attention to danger. It’s what helped us survive when our cave-dwelling ancestors were living with the threat of being eaten by a wild animal.
These days, the negativity we see on the news gets stuck in our brain and replays over and over in an endless loop. Being stuck in quarantine doesn’t help. We’re left with more time to ruminate on everything that might go wrong.
How a Single Question Can Shift Your Focus
If you want to rise above the fears, worries, and hopelessness of life during the coronavirus pandemic, you need to find your answer to the question “Why is the world a better place because you’re in it?”
You must get in touch with your purpose in life and stay focused on it. If you can’t answer this question, use this quarantine time when life has slowed down to think about it. Start journaling and write down your thoughts on the following:
- What talents or skills do you have that can be helpful to others?
- What are your passions?
- What are your interests?
- What small step can you take today to make a difference in someone’s life?
- What small act of kindness can you bestow upon someone else today?
- What can you do to make the world a better place?
When you’re able to answer these questions, you can learn how to turn your pain into purpose to keep you moving forward even when the world around you has stopped.
Listen to this episode of The Brain Warrior’s Way Podcast on Finding Purpose with Dr. Derwin Gray, a former NFL player who is now an author and pastor. Or dedicate some time during the pandemic to learning how to enhance your brain health, find your passion, and improve your life with The Brain Warrior’s Way online course from Amen University. Get 21% off with your purchase when you enter TANA21 at checkout.
