The COVID-19 pandemic has not been kind to us. It has stressed us out in a manner that we couldn’t have anticipated even a few months back before the lockdowns began in end-March. Newspapers, television and social media project this feeling and keep reminding us of the gloom and doom.

The situation is bad. But is it so bad as to make us blind to opportunities created by the very gloom and doom that envelopes us? People on the up and go are constantly reminding us that bad times do not last forever. While COVID-19 will now be part of our life, we also need to remember that so will the flu.

Those who cultivate a positive outlook stand to gain as the recovery begins. With the world at war against the novel coronavirus, the best scientific talent is working to find a vaccine. Never in the history of medicine has so much of resources and talent been harnessed to find one vaccine. Some claim to have already invented a vaccine; some say they will have one by January 2021 and others opt for a more cautious timeline. But a vaccine we will have.

While the novel coronavirus started spreading even before 2020 began, it was only in March that it was declared a pandemic and nations began imposing lockdowns. It is August now, and the talk of a vaccine is now stronger than the feeling that civilisation is under threat.

Over the last four months, schools have begun teaching their students remotely, business meetings are being held on virtual conference platforms and, as I have already talked about in my previous blog, work from home has become part of our life.

Life always bounces back with new promise. We have found ways to fight many of the challenges to our lifestyle. We are now talking about a vaccine, higher rate of recovery and lower death rate, and, of course, the green shoots that are being seen in the economy.

The question that we should ask ourselves is: what have we done with our lives during these days? What have we learnt, and how have we coped? Let us create affirmative answers by being positive. That’s the only way to go. Stay safe and stay positive. Being negative makes you blind to opportunity.