Arianna Allen
Staff Writer
If there is one pure, raw emotion that humanity has felt throughout the past several months of this ongoing global pandemic, known as COVID-19, it is fear.
We have been infected with the emotion of fear. And rightfully so.
Fear of the Virus. Fear of contracting the virus. Fear of infecting others. Fear of political decisions. Fear of the lacking medical supplies. Fear of unemployment. Fear of social distancing. Fear of the possible results of self-isolation, such as depression, suicide or domestic violence. Fear of the unknown. Fear of our current reality. Fear of the obvious change. Just Fear.
At this moment, our world is currently filled with fear. It has universally taken over our lives.
The CDC reported on the CDC. gov, “The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.” The urgent national emphasis of social distancing and the strongly advised action of self-isolation, now allows individuals with more free time to examine the depths and severity of the chaos that is occurring within the borders of the United States’; feeding the fear.
We can recognize the severity and value of taking social distancing and self-isolation seriously while using the time that we have been given as an opportunity to be fearless through our intentionality.
During our current reality, it is easy to feel confined to the four walls of your room, however, there is relief in knowing that you will never have to be confined to the comfort zones of your brain. There is power in opportunity. When it comes to knowledge, there is no lack of resources.
Eight Ivy-League schools such as Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania, have given the opportunity to the public by providing about 450 free online classes.
Audible, an audio-book app, is also offering a free trial for 30 days. Headspace, a meditation app whose focus is primarily on “Mindfulness for your everyday life”, according to headspace.com, is offering a free collection titled Weathering the storm to the public.
While Nike has enabled their apps to be free. They are filled with content about training tips and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Local churches that have converted their gatherings to streamed online services include but are not limited to, Vous Church, Calvary Chapel and West Broward Church of Christ.
With the sports industry coming to a complete standstill, it can allow sports enthusiasts to deepen their history and widen their knowledge of the game. CBS Sports Network is now airing reruns of college basketball, NBATV is airing past NBA basketball games and NFL Network is also airing previous football games.
It is okay to fear the unknown, we all have our own fears to overcome. However, there is a difference between becoming fearful and being fearless. According to The Webster New World College Dictionary, synonyms of the word fearless are brave, courageous, and heroic.
While it feels like the world around us has stopped, going as individuals never stops.
Ignite your imagination. Try something that you have never tried before. Exceed your boundaries! Break those comfort zones. The world is yours- even through social distancing and self- isolation. Technological advancements have made it capable to remain connected. The opportunity is in the palm of your hands, while the resources are at your fingertips. Let your curiosity guide you.
We have been granted the opportunity of time and it is all up to us about what we chose to do with it. Imagine the heroic ideas, actions and imprint that we could leave on the world if each and every one of us chose to be intentional in bettering ourselves.
Each and every single day you have a choice to make… Are you going to be fearful or fearless?
allea@mail.broward.edu
