The Light at the End of the Tunnel

/ jeanmjames

As we move through the nightmare of the COVID-19 pandemic, you might think things are getting better. The light at the end of the tunnel is shining more brightly. It’s only a matter of time before we are through this. After all, we now have three vaccines. Some states have a lower rate of infection, hospitalizations and death rates.

The vaccines are great, even remarkable, but this morning one of them is on hold because some very limited, but life-threatening side effects have emerged. Doctors are not yet sure who should avoid this particular vaccine. It will take more time to sort it out. The other factor is that we do not yet have a sufficient supply of vaccine for all those who need it. In addition, more states have an increasing infection rate, hospitalization rate and death rate. It is clearly a case of good news/bad news. This grim picture does not even consider that the world-wide pandemic rages on outside our borders.

When you are almost at the end of a traumatic event, you don’t know it. All of the signposts are new, never experienced before. So, we either become numb to what is going on, or focus on what is immediately in front of us and what we are feeling at the moment.

A common analogy employed at such times is that of running a race. You might hear, ‘If you just hang on, you’re almost to the end,’ or, ‘Don’t give up, you’re almost at the finish line.’

The analogy does not hold. When you run a race or a marathon, you know where the endpoint is. It’s a lot easier to stay motivated when you know the distance to the endpoint.

With the pandemic, we really cannot see the endpoint. All we can do is deal with newly emerging problems as they arise, trust that there is an endpoint and make every effort to keep a positive outlook.

There are two people I know who have successfully maintained a positive outlook throughout this terrible time. They are both very creative, although in different ways. They haven’t fallen into the trap of spending most of their time reflecting on their own troubles, but rather have been able to focus outward.

One is local musician, composer and performer Danny Schneider. In 2019, Danny wrote and recorded nine new songs. They were songs inspired by what Danny saw on the streets of Sacramento. Like many urban areas, Sacramento has a growing and tragic problem with homelessness. As you can imagine, the problem has become even more pronounced during the pandemic. While working on the album, Danny discovered Joshua House Hospice, an organization raising funds to establish a hospice for the homeless in Sacramento. He decided to produce the LP as a fund raiser for Joshua House. He has a goal of selling 100 LPs at $100.00 each. All of the $10,000 generated by the sale goes directly to Joshua House. The pandemic interfered with Danny’s plans for an in person concert as a thank you for those who donated. In spite of the interference, to date 78 of the albums have sold.

You can purchase one of the remaining LPs as well as find out more about Joshua House Hospice and Danny Schneider at http://dannyschneider.com

The second amazingly positive person I know is Yeonhee Choi. Yeonhee has had an amazing life. Born in Seoul, South Korea, she attended graduate school in the United States and has lived in the U.S. for many years. She has worked for several major corporations in international marketing and planning.

Recently, she launched her own business as a Life Coach doing what she loves, inspiring others to fulfill their life goals. She is fearless and her enthusiasm is contagious. To find out more about Yeonhee, go to her website at Dream4ward.com

Peace