In the midst of Coronavirus Pandemic...choosing to be unconditionally happy...

It probably sounds so superfluous at first, reading the title of this post...

As the whole outside world is going haywire, nothing seems 'normal' or remotely cheery anymore. People get locked down in their own homes, schools and shops are closed down; parents stressed out trying to save the family's livelihood while dealing with their loose kids within the confinements of home; people losing their jobs, stock markets crashing; and worst of all, people dying and many innocent souls are lost while trying to save lives. Everything seems so bleak...

Yet for many of us who are fortunate to be alive and healthy, with our loved ones safe and sound, while sitting helplessly at home, we still have a choice on how to respond.

This was my spoiled-rat reaction when the outbreak first gets 'in the way of my life':

"This is so annoying...My conferences in New York got cancelled. My other workshop in Singapore at the end of April got cancelled, I was even planning the spend the weekend stopping by Vietnam and see my family. My Easter holidays in Southern France must be in jeopardy now, and I already even booked the flights to Corsica and Malta for May. Damn it, no travels! What am I gonna do? Cannot even go out on weekends anymore. There's no more social life! Life is not fun anymore. This virus thing is damn annoying!"

This is my new response after a week of WFH:

"The week of working from home, albeit still quite stressful, has given me a chance to enjoy my homely space. And the weather has fortunately been so lovely even though it's only mid-March. It feels like spring is already here! The cherry tree in my garden is blossoming! Sometimes I even do calls sitting on my terrace, the sun shining in my face. What a blessing! I could even take more breaks to call my family in Vietnam, making sure they are fine. I also make myself little tasty home-cooked meals while being at home. I appreciate that I still have a stable job, live in a comfy apartment with a nice garden, and my life has not been turned upside down by the crazy worldly events happening around me right now! I pray that this soon shall pass, and that we stay resilient as a community and will overcome this wave of misfortune"...

What is your response?