Change: A weapon for surviving the pandemic effects

Change is so pervasive in our lives that it almost defeats description and analysis. It's a common word and phenomenon that defies our attempts to stop or control it. On the other hand, it is also extremely implausible to deny the existence of change as one of the denominator of life.

In Economics, change is a term synonymous to variables that vary and change from time; in historical parlance, change is subject to events of the past, present and future; in philosophical understanding, change can be akin to Heraclitus speculation that everything is constantly shifting, changing, and becoming something other to what it was before; in sociological review, change is seen from the lens of what sociologist consider as social change; in politics, we can talk on change based on tenure; under scientific consideration, change has to do basically with objects and the dynamics that surrounds those objects; one could go on and on, but the gist is clear that change is a constant factor of life.

Nothing is constant except change. Change happens to everything and everyone in life. This may take any and different forms. Our world today is changing at the speed of light. Our culture, mode of interaction, work and worship have always been affected by the wave of change in either positive or negative way. And as of recent, the world was blasted with an unforeseen Coronavirus pandemic.

In this article, we will be exploring the need to change in order to combat this unexpected wave of pandemic that has changed and shut down everything we ever wanted to do this year. This change caused by the virus however, may last for decades, therefore, the earlier we adapt to this change the better for us. This adaptation will aid us to act and not be to acted on by nature and the events that the change brings.

The twenty-first century had been predicted to be an outright different time from the past years. This predictions may range from religious, scientific, economic, political and downright outrageous claims, and it may have just come to life. The outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic and the events that followed has however proven that the change we had experienced in the past years of this century are in no way comparable to the changes to come very soon.

Human interaction and existence has been altered in the last few month that the pandemic started. In view of containing the spread of the virus, works, social interactions, economy and the entire life of the human beings that live in the planet, earth, has been affected. Office activities and workplace activities currently suspended, schools are closed, people are asked to remain indoors, and cover their face with masks if at all they must come out, markets and shops are also locked down, and travels are banned. The only institutions of life that is in operation are the family, because we live and have our being in it, the health centres, because, those are the place the infected people are treated, as well as the government, and the law enforcement agencies.

However, humanity was not fashioned to be this way, but what we feared or never expected has happened. The preparedness to adapt to this change is therefore very essential. We as a nation, Nigeria must begin to learn extensively on the new trends in the global village. Dear reader and fellow young Nigerians, we must also adopt a new method to combat this unexpected change. We must review our plans and purpose for our lives to make it more reasonable in line with the coming days. We must learn to prepare ahead of this change.

We must initiate plans on what we must do incase this pandemic lasts longer. We must also utilise the opportunities that this unpredictable change has brought us. We must wake up to the reality that life is no longer normal as usual and it may take time before everything settles, therefore we must start contemplating ideas on how to achieve our goals. Since most normal activities have been stopped, we must find ways to do things in an extraordinary ways or by  tactical means. We must rethink ways of how to do business and to thrive financially in this period. We must renew our passion to learn, relearn and unlearn anything that may be vital to our coping during and after this pandemic. We must also change our mindsets to accommodate more realistic expectations for the future ahead.

Finally, we must begin to have contingency and backup plans for the days ahead. This pandemic  change has affected everything, including our plans, we must also change our plans to defeat the effects of this pandemic

Once bitten twice shy, we must change our methods and thinking to defeat this unfriendly times and moments of unpredictable changes so we can survive and thrive.

By:
Peter Momoh and Ademola Adebayo