FEELING GRATEFUL
What follows is written remembering with respect and compassion for those who have suffered with Coronavirus and those who have lost love ones to it. I am feeling grateful that I have experienced none of that.
In the UK we are in a national lockdown with doubts about for how long and especially doubts about how we are going to celebrate Christmas. I was fretting about especially that. Like many others Christmas is such a special time for me. However, I was listening recently to Mo Gawdat author of the best selling book, ‘Solve for Happy: Engineer your path to Joy’ whose words brought me up short. A timely reminder today of all days, I think. Gawdat said,
If you had been born in 1900:
By the age of 14 the First world war would have killed 22million people – By the age of 27yrs. Spanish flu would have killed 27million people. By the age of 37 you would be suffering through the Great depression which was much, much, worse than any current economic situation. By the end of the Second world war 75million people would have died. AND By the age of 50 small pox would have killed 300 million people. – that, in a world where the population was just two billion. That means that for every 100 people you knew 15 would have died.
Listening to that perspective certainly gave me food for thought! My life is blessed even if I have to stay home and celebrate Christmas differently this year.
THE MEDIA
Believe me, I understand the seriousness and sadness of our situation. and I know I tend to ‘harp’ on about the media, However, even the best of them do have a tendency to zoom in on something and magnify it tenfold, leading us to believe we are all going to hell in a handcart. It makes it difficult to keep things in perspective. But, keeping Mo Gawdat’s words in mind. I am feeling grateful. Grateful that I live in these times, today right now.
Mo Gawdat -top Google executive trained as an engineer with an analytical mind gives us the Happy equation in this truly original book SOLVE FOR HAPPY
As I write there is a new U.S. President – almost. There is a vaccine for Coronavirus – almost. I know we are not there yet…but is there almost a light at the end of the tunnel? What do you think? Are you positive about the future? Please tell me in the comments, I would love to know.
