“The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Do you understand?” -Jack Sparrow.
First of all, I want to tell the many people who have lost loved ones from the coronavirus and those who had to be separated from their families, that we are all going through this same difficult time. The Corona Pandemic has shaken all of our lives. It has shaken me as well. The most difficult part was to have occasions where we usually have our loved ones around us but now, we are unable to meet them even if we wanted to. Fortunately, even though there are people around me who got the coronavirus, no one has died. In South Korea, quarantine has been established at an early stage compared to other countries, and all its citizens are following the quarantine guidelines and social distance. Recently, the number of confirmed cases per day has been steady at around 500. But it was not easy to get to this point. However, a few things I did were extremely helpful in changing my perspective about this pandemic and kept me going.
Learn meditation remotely.
One of my favorite hobbies is meditation. Before the Corona Pandemic, I meditated every day at a meditation center in my neighborhood. However, as stores were closed due to Corona, and everything was on limited hours of operation, my meditation teacher started guiding meditation online. I realized, It’s great to have a sense of mental stability and to meditate safely and comfortably from my home every day. TV and the Internet are all constantly talking about Corona, which makes me anxious, uncomfortable and suspicious of others. But, by meditating at home and throwing away my anxiety and worry, I created an environment where the virus could not live physically and mentally.
Build your body and mind’s immunity
I believe that a more hopeful world will come if we all overcome the corona era well. We are all going through tough times now by struggling with both our bodies and our minds. As we are helping each other through these tough times, our hearts of humanity are clearly growing and maturing. To survive this period, I exercise every day. If I even have 30 minutes, I wear my sneakers and go out to walk on the local promenade. After my heart gets a jolt and the sweat flows out, my blood circulates well and gives me a positive outlook of ‘let’s do anything’. And as I meditate every day, I look back at the day and throw away all negative news, negative words, and negative minds. Negative thoughts are like toxins and are harmful to my mental and physical health. So I exercise and meditate diligently.
Express gratitude
We all got to see a different part of our society during this Corona Pandemic. Next to us there are medical workers, courier workers, drivers, and public utility workers who have worked on our behalf without any honor or compensation. Middle-aged women continue to work in grocery stores just as they did before Corona, even though knowing that their health is being threatened. Now I realize how I took their precious time and passion before the Corona Pandemic for granted. These days, more and more I find myself saying ‘thank you’. When I express my gratitude for even small things, my heart is humbled and I realize how much help I have received from society.
I came to love my family more
My husband works from home and my two sons are taking classes online, so I often have to prepare three meals a day. I couldn’t even eat out, so I was very tired and irritated at first. But when I recently thought about it again, my mind changed to not complain and have fun as this time of eating, sleeping, playing, fighting, and laughing like this in this small house with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms could be the only moment in my life that I will get to do this with my family. I decided to do my best to live in this moment that I will miss in the future when it is 2031, so instead of nagging my children, I began to instruct my children as a parent. And I started talking more with my husband. Rather than having an excellent meal prepared each time, I try to eat comfortably by sitting at the table with my family. For lunch, I cook noodles which is my husband’s favorite, and at dinner I make a traditional Korean meal. If we get tired of that too, we get take out from a small local restaurant and share it with our family. I am thankful for having a family. There are many things both as a mother and as a wife that I am lacking, but I feel fulfilled at this moment because I have my family who also say that this is the best.
No problem, as Captain Jack Sparrow of said. When you recognize a problem as a problem, it becomes a headache from then on. Maybe the Corona Pandemic has created the best opportunity for us humans. People are researching for a happy coexistence all over the world. Our humanity, who has been running constantly so far, must reflect on and change itself. So I meditate. It is because meditation is what makes me look back on myself, abandon ‘me’, filled with lies, and find the real me within me.
by Donna Seo
