So often, we focus more on loss than gain during challenging times. Or we adopt a fixed mindset in which we’re more focused on proving ourselves and winning than improving ourselves and learning.

The image above was making rounds on Twitter this week (I couldn’t find the source to attribute). It suggests that this is a time for emotionally stretching, for learning new habits that focus on adaptability and resilience, for being open to express vulnerability in this transitional time for the world and ourselves.

If you’re like me, you’re experiencing life as a roller-coaster these days. I have moments of clarity, and I have moments where absolutely nothing seems clear. I’ve experienced incredible virtual connections, while desperately missing the easy touches, hugs, and smiles that are part of normal life. I’ve had times when I feel I know exactly what to do, and times when I feel so confused that watching TV or scrolling mindlessly through social media seems the best option.

Unlike milder downturns in my life, this one is epic. Although I never thought I’d call the Great Recession or previous transitions in my life “mild downturns.” Of course, although I lost my job, I’m grateful to have unemployment insurance to fall back on, something that many others in the world aren’t afforded. Just the same, pain in pain; uncertainty is uncertainty. In one way or another, almost all of us are struggling in some way. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

The question I’m asking myself each day when I get up is, what am I supposed to learn from this experience? How am I supposed to grow? How could this pandemic be a gift in camouflage?

Feeling despair and finding meaning are inversely proportional to each other. At a time when many of us are personally worried about making money, how can we make meaning from this unprecedented collective experience? And, how can we grow closer as a result of being distant?