Meaning Within A Pandemic
Written By Rochelle Lee
When I reflect on my first blog post entitled “Perfectly Imperfect”, I had just lost my job just prior to the pandemic hitting. I was left wondering “why”, and “who am I?”. I struggled silently and only with those who I surrounded myself with. I realized something very quickly-that I had the power to create my own story and my story wasn’t done yet(even in the midst of intense emotions). If you ever think that helping professionals don’t struggle the same way everyone else does-think again! I am sharing my vulnerability because it creates meaning and purpose for me. I also believe that it gives me a voice of relatability.
I didn’t realize how powerful this would be until the pandemic hit! How was I going to reinvent or find myself in a pandemic?! Well I sought out what I was in control of and how I could use this to build myself again. My first step was enhancing my skills and certification with coaching and took the opportunity to become a volunteer through the Ontario Covid-19 Mental Health Network. I spoke to many individuals, providing counselling-many of them healthcare workers who were struggling in a healthcare system that was trying to figure out how to fight this Covid beast. I then realized at those moments, that MY situation(as grave as I thought it was!) was really not that bad. I was supporting individuals who were fearful of going into work, who were trying to keep up with ever changing policies and procedures of their jobs, and peers at work who perpetuated the fear(unknowingly) of the unknown. AT THAT MOMENT, I had an opportunity-to give back, to support, to create space for people to unload and find support.
Within the unknown, I knew I had to pivot…I had to pivot quickly to decide what I wanted to do moving forward. Pivot Consulting & Coaching was born out of my belief that within the chaos of our “new normal” we need to be prepared to pivot in the best way we can. I also realized that I had so much more to offer-I wanted to share my gifts with others. While we are still in the midst of Covid and a second wave, we still need to take care of ourselves, and try and create the meaning that we all seek. That said, we also need to listen to the staggering statistics of the increase of mental health issues occurring around us. Sometimes, its not even about finding the meaning, it is just about trying to survive. This I can tell you with certainty, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. While people are suffering in different ways, there is a collective consciousness that we are all struggling. If you can take one meaningful thing out of this, it is to walk each day knowing that the one small thing you do in the course of a day could change the trajectory of someone else’s day. Making or finding meaning does not have to be in the grandiose acts, it can be in the acknowledgement of the kindness of someone next to you, or taking the opportunity to be that kind person to someone else.
Now, let me be clear-I am not being naïve, people ARE struggling, and are struggling so much. Being grateful and taking lessons from this pandemic is not the only solution to what we are experiencing, though it CAN propel us into the first step forward to change the narrative of this pandemic for ourselves.