We keep living and thriving! Three days ago, Nigerians celebrated the End Sars memorial, a year has gone by and it is almost like nothing has changed, for instance, one of my friends’ brother was taken by Sars at his hostel, Anambra, a day after the End Sars memorial. The year 2020 was definitely a year that brought diverse experiences amongst which COVID-19 hit the world but thankfully we have moved on. 

However, since you survived COVID-19 can you take a moment to pause and think about how you were before COVID-19?  Retrospectively, think about your pre-COVID-19  times especially if you live in a fast-paced city like Lagos, Nigeria. Traffic in Lagos then was overtly crazyyyy, physically, and mentally draining. 

Personally, my pre-COVID 19 times were physically demanding, had crazy pressure at work that I silently prayed for a  break. Then, boom COVID-19 came and there was national lockdown which introduced work-from-home in the workspace especially in Nigeria. This WFH season became a liberating and preparation season for me. I knew I was productive than I have ever been when I worked physically at the office and my Supervisor confirmed it when we resumed physically at the office. 

More so, one of the main features of the COVID-19 time was mask-wearing…Chai, it had a suffocating effect on me especially with the Ankara mask and one would think that the Ankara mask had come to stay as it became a fashion item for a short period of time. Thankfully, it didn’t stay for long especially if you’re unlucky to use the tightly sown clothe-made mask, the elastic rubber hurts the ears. However, the mask had its benefits apart from helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Such as:

• It helps to silently pray as you go on with your day’s activities.
• It helps to disguise. It made it possible to pass by someone that knows you and pretend like you are not the one especially if you are avoiding talking or greeting the person.
• It helps to cover one’s facial reaction especially when someone annoys you and you are trying to compose yourself (make you no give am as e dey hot for your mind.)
• Sometimes, you can even blame it on the use of facemask as the reason you didn’t hear what someone said or you didn’t pay attention to what was said.

I got you abi? I knowwww rigghhhht😀😉😀

Now, the world has really moved on, Covid-19 has impacted our lifestyle, thankfully the workplace, and this has consequently reduced the weight of traffic in fast-paced cities like Lagos as some employees can now from home. Although, it seems like some Nigerian employers still don’t believe in working remotely. To some of them, working remotely means working part-time even if it is a full-time job package. Meanwhile, we can’t deny that the Nigerian workplace is gradually progressing, thanks to COVID-19.

If we want to be sincere with ourselves, we will agree that COVID-19 was actually a blessing in disguise to us. It helped to attain intimacy in marriages and this saved some collapsing marriages, new couples were able to have wedding ceremonies without breaking the banks, and this season birthed creativity and innovations across different industries.

The world has moved into the post-COVID-19 time and there are unrestricted opportunities waiting to be harnessed. Stay sensitive to know your place in the ongoing shift. Don’t feel pressured to do what seems popular but take your time to ask the All-Knowing-God what you need to do or where you need to be so you can rightly maximize the opportunities in this post-COVID-19 season. More so, be open to learning, don’t be afraid to acquire new knowledge/skills.

Living pass the past, if there is any lesson I have profoundly learned from the pre-COVID-19 time to this post-COVID-19 time is that POSSIBILITIES always abound.  I genuinely wish you all the best as you commit to becoming all that the Father has designed for you. Cheers to greatness fam!

Je t’aime mon ami🤗🤗🤗