Tapping The Hidden Wealth In Corona Virus Pandemic - Orunsola

By Olufemi Orunsola

There is no disputing the fact that the current season of life, characterized by varying degrees of  social distancing protocols, self isolation, outright quarantine and lock down of entire countries across the world is indeed very precarious and disruptively  challenging to the entire human race. No thanks to the dreaded, swiftly spreading corona virus.

However, the global pandemic, like most issues in life, presents another side of the coin to mankind to view, review and explore life itself. To rethink the very core essence of our individual as well as collective existence on planet earth with particular attention to how we relate with mother nature, natural elements and our vital cotenants on earth -o the plant kingdom and indeed, the animal kingdom! 

The current disruption  in the socioeconomic order of the entire world may come with a rare, golden opportunity for a phenomena change in the new world order weather we like it or not! 

On a very macro scale, the corona virus pandemic seem to be more than a pandemic but a strategic social leveler, redefining the fabrics of preexisting socioeconomic and political order silently but steadily too. It, in a way, bridges the gap between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have nots. It may be collapsing previously existing walls of dominance and relevance accruing to nations and many institutions.

On a micro scale however, individuals can amidst the fears and palpable panic, discover untapped gold mine of human capital capacity which the routine rat race in which we all have had to engage, has  obviously denied us a chance to explore let alone discover.

While governments across the world make frantic moves to contain the spread of the virus and the entire scientific research community the world over also unite in pursuit of proper care giving to patients as well as tireless quest for possible vaccines against the corona virus, the onus lies on us as individuals and families to take advantage of this awfullest time to drive the rebirth of yet a most auspicious era in the history of mankind!  

That can only be done if we all exploit this time to:

 *View and Review our world - this includes our world view and the many though patterns and biases that have set us on course against nature and fellow humans.

*Organize and Reorganize Your Life! 

 Our lives and our innermost priorities mostly need to be reorganized at this time if we must optimize the hidden wealth this current global situation has brought for us. This include how we set up our living spaces but more importantly, how set up our minds - your mindset! Folks, it is the best of time to clear your cluttered living spaces and invariably your mind!

*Take Stocks!

 It will amaze many of us how much we have lost track of who we really are and what we really have until we take time deliberately take stock of things we have at home in our care. While many of us take stock of food supplies and yield to the temptation of tizzy panic purchases, we are actually missing out on taking stock of our untapped potentials, abandoned materials and wasted resources!

*Plan Your Life and Work Life to Adjust to New World Realities

As this moment provides an unprecedented momentary escape from our routine rat race in the maze of life, there can be no better time to adjust our minds to the future of work! The stark realities of the coming waves of internet of things, artificial intelligence, robotics, the block chain technology and cryptocurrency all of which are steadily poised to redefine the future of what you and I currently call our  work! 

Weather we like or not, these new forces will ultimately lead to disruption in the workspace, birth mass unemployment for many and the sledge hammer of job redundancy is already dangling on the head of many people unnoticed!

Folks who jeer at E-learning around the world now have the reality of the future of education steering at them in the face as the saving grace in the wake of total shut down of the brick and mortar schools. With mass gatherings outlawed, the stark reality of E-Church and online religious services have now dawn on our world. The future is indeed here!

*Make Room for Leisure, Rest and Exercise

As the reality of the possibility of productive work right from within the confines of our homes dawn on us all during this lockdown and or outright shutdown, it is pertinent for us to know that bodily rest and exercise are critically important to our survival. Yes, we can work from home without necessarily giving ourselves the easy route escape that we are being distracted by family.

*Bond with Family!

As awful as the global corona pandemic may be, it has indeed provided many children an opportunity to bond with their ever busy, always on the go parents! Wives bond with husbands all over again. It is a vital window of opportunity for us all to rediscover who and what are critically important to us in life - family. The brotherhood of man! 

Against the backdrop of my musings above, I submit that the corona virus phenomena is indeed a blessing in disguise to humanity even as it shakes the entire fabrics of societal life and remoulds human lifestyle across the globe.

I am therefore convinced that humanity will come out better for it if we all as individuals do the right things this season of life, adjust our lives in tune with the social distance protocols while political leaders and relevant global institutions such as the United Nations, play their roles of providing necessary health information, palliatives and directions to the world at this unforgettable point in the annals of human history.

Olufemi Orunsola, is  Media Consultant, Social Crusader & a Public Affairs Analyst based in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

He is the Chairman, Screen Writers Guild of Nigeria(SWGN), Ogun State Chapter.