When This is All Over

Original Spanish version published in  El Comercio newspaper on April 26, 2020

When this is all over, and it will be, many people will come out of it transformed. The crisis will have served to discover their true character, their grit and inner strength. And with that newfound personal self-confidence forged by weeks of reflection, pain, fear, helplessness, and many, many changes, they will find that the experience helped them to evolve and transform, to become stronger and wiser.

When the economy begins to start up again, those who managed to keep their eyes on the future –despite how difficult this is in the midst of so much uncertainty– will move ahead faster and further than the rest; they will be much more competitive and relevant. They will conquer new personal and professional heights. The same will hold true for those who chose to look at the situation from different perspectives to try to change their attitude –and succeeded–, helping others to see the glass as being half full, with that resilience and leadership that inspires, motivates and calms others

Those who have chosen to strengthen –or repair– their ties with family, friends, colleagues, customers, or suppliers with closer, more authentic, and more collaborative virtual exchanges, will enjoy the growth of the things they can do or achieve together.

Those who, through their flexibility, adaptability, and ability to self-motivate, managed to keep their stress, anguish, and anxiety in check –avoiding that negativity that paralyzes, destroys, and blinds– will find that they are ready to see better opportunities, possibilities, and alternatives in the new reality than to those who succumbed to abandonment or complacency.

When this is all over, and it will be over, we will clearly know who in the crisis allowed themselves to act and behave in an “anything goes” mode, acting without any solidarity, empathy, correctness, or coherence with the values they preached they had. The market will remember them, but they still have time to mend their ways.

Those who behaved with the utmost respect and consideration for their people, even in the midst of the crisis and despair, will know that nothing is more rewarding than the loyalty and commitment of those who feel valued and respected, even when it is impossible or almost impossible to maintain relationships or conditions as they had been. Those who acted with humanity and respect will be admired and supported.

Those who understood that the crisis had brought a great opportunity to grow, learn, and develop new professional skills, and above all human ones, will emerge with a better professional profile and more demand for their professional or business services, in a more selective and competitive market. Those who can open their minds to new paradigms or ways of working or of providing services will be the winners in the new reality.

When this is all over, and it will be over, many people will emerge with new wings and with a greater desire to fly higher, ready to go after new and better dreams, redefined by the new normal.

We will all be grateful for everything that this situation helped us to forge and for those who did so much for us. And we will bounce back.

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