Bestselling author Robin Sharma was once quoted as saying: “The fears we don’t face become our limits.”
On Thursday, 05 March 2020 South Africa reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case. It wasn’t, however, until lockdown was announced by President Ramaphosa on Monday, 23 March, that a collective panic set in. On the morning of 27 March, which was also the first day of lockdown, the nation awoke to the news that COVID-19 had claimed two lives in the country. What may have been described as a mild panic up until this point soon became full-blown mass hysteria.
We inherently suffer from a morbid curiosity
Although the hysteria surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic is largely blamed on the media, our natural morbid curiosity is possibly more at fault. Without our strange fascination with anything remotely morbid, fearmongering efforts will not be futile. For the most part, the media is just relaying the information received from the powers that be anyway. They can hardly be credited for the world-wide outbreak of paranoia we are experiencing. According to psychologists, it is perfectly normal to put yourself in the shoes of someone to whom something terrible (or potentially terrible such as a COVID-19 diagnosis) has happened. Could it be that we are, in fact, programmed to panic in the face of danger? Is ‘worst-case scenario’ our default setting?
It is time to positivize the pandemic
If there is one thing the 60 days of lockdown has taught us, it is that COVID-19 is not going anywhere – not yet anyway. We are doing ourselves and those around us a great disservice by solely focusing on the negativity surrounding the pandemic. Over-indulging on infection rates and fatalities is harming us in countless ways, leaving us fearful, irate, and without hope. The time has come to alter our collective mindset. It was American activist Bryant McGill who said: “You will find what you look for, so look for something wonderful.” While the COVID-19 pandemic is not, in essence, an occurrence worth celebrating, the ever-increasing number of recoveries is. So too is the sense of Ubuntu that has been evoked in the nation.
Sources: South African Department of Health and www.worldometers.info
We are taking the road less traveled
The #ImStaying community has always been focused on positivity – even when faced with extreme adversity. As a team we have committed to journey down the road less traveled and highlight the positive aspects of the pandemic through our #UnmaskingCovid19 and #ConqueringCovid project. There are countless media sources that serve up clinical statistics on a daily basis. We, however, will educate you on the recoveries, the victories, the discoveries. #ImStaying will be updating our platform daily with the latest recovery stats, both from South Africa and around the world. We will seek out the latest information with regards to vaccination research and technological advancements in patient care. Additionally, we will share a number of stories from COVID-19 survivors and highlight some of the astonishing initiatives taking place within our communities.
Positivity is contagious
By being positive about the pandemic we are not attempting to discount its severity. We are merely choosing light over darkness. We need to focus on the things we can control, such as wearing our masks, washing our hands, and being kind to one another. As a community that is built on positivity, we cannot allow anything that we don’t have any control over, to control us. Positivity is contagious and we have the power to spread it to all corners of the country.
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