Does this global epidemic have you feeling helpless and afraid? Have you been stuck in a negative mind space? Are you struggling to make sense of all this chaos? If you answered yes, this post is for you.

The atmosphere of our society in the wake of COVID-19 is largely that of fear and scarcity. No one knows what to expect, it feels like an attack from all angles by an invisible enemy. From our individual health to the global economy, our ability to conduct routine tasks has been compromised. In what felt like an instant, everything changed in a big way.

People are hoarding basic necessities like toilet paper and soap, everyone is now an expert on social media, and the news is playing our fears for more views. On top of all that, we can’t even find solace in the company of friends and family due to social distancing and self quarantine policies. It’s easy to look at the situation and feel helpless, apathetic, and downtrodden – but don’t stop there.

This is all good for you. There are great opportunities underneath these struggles, waiting to reward you with personal growth and development for uncovering them and taking action.

The top three opportunities I’ve come up with are releasing fear, letting go of victimhood, and practicing acceptance. (What opportunities can you think of? Let me know in the comments.)

When the World Brings up Your Fears, Take the Opportunity to Release Them

This pandemic is so prolific that there is no where to hide, it’s a truly global phenomenon that has spread like wildfire, reaching all corners of civilization. An event of this scale brings up some of our deepest fears: the fear of losing your job, of not having food to eat, and the fear of death itself.

These are all valid fears, any of those situations is indeed scary – but does holding onto any of those fears help you at all? Are they necessary?

You don’t need to be afraid of losing your job to work hard. You don’t need to be afraid of starving to put food on the table. You don’t need to be afraid of death in order to fight for survival. Yet sometimes we justify holding on to fear as a motivation to act.

Take an honest look at the fears showing up in your thoughts lately, hold each one in your awareness individually. Close your eyes and feel the physical sensations they produce in your body – notice any tightness and tension. Really take some time to understand each fear. Reflect on where they’ve shown up in your life, when did you first feel this fear? What was that experience like? What does the fear tell you about your attachments? Are they tied to physical possessions or experiences? What is your typical response to this fear? What do these fears inspire you to do, or not do? When you act on these fears, what does it feel like? Do you feel helpless or confident?

Now reflect on the times that you’ve acted out of love. Think back to a time when you acted selflessly, for the benefit of family or friends. Hold that sensation of love in your awareness. What does it feel like in your body? Is it expansive and uplifting? Does it relax your shoulders? When you act on love, what does it feel like? Where would love lead if you allowed it to guide you? Can you imagine acting out of love for yourself and others instead of fear?

Act out of Love and See the Abundance of Nature

The death of some things give life to others, this is simply the way things are. Whether its the death of a being or an experience, other beings and experiences develop from the remains of what came before them. You simply can’t have life without death.

When you hold on to fear you see the world as a place of scarcity, so you cling to who and what you have in life. You desperately hold on to what you have because you fear that it is irreplaceable, that there isn’t enough to go around if you lose it. Fear and attachment are directly related in this way: you are both fearful because you are attached, and attached because you are fearful.

When you live in a relaxed state of love you see the world as a place of abundance, rich with opportunities for growth. People and things are constantly entering and leaving your life. Even at your lowest points there is still enough to get by – fear and expectation can prevent you from seeing that, but love makes it clear by grounding you in the present.

Living in love gives you the freedom to let go of what you have, trusting that the natural flow of change will benefit you in unforeseen ways. This frees you to be in the moment instead of clinging to the past out of fear.

All it takes is a simple shift in perspective, from seeing the world as a victim to seeing it as a student.

Stop Taking Things Personally and Missing Opportunities for Growth

It’s easy to be a victim, especially when the world is suffering from an epidemic crisis – our economy is in shambles, people are losing their jobs, people are dying, and nowhere is safe except for home. Whether you take on a personal victim identity or a societal victim identity, they both lead you to a place of fear and scarcity.

This entire situation is largely out of your control, what you DO have control over is how you respond to it. You can use this situation to make yourself stronger, or to dig yourself into a pit of despair. Recognize that this is all the control you need, use your power to adapt and overcome the obstacles life presents you.

The world isn’t out to get you – it’s out to grow you. Every new challenge you face is perfect nourishment for your soul, you just have to be present with it – to see it as it is, not how you fear it to be. It’s up to you to make this shift, to choose to see opportunity when life throws problems your way.

Take several deep breaths, let your body relax, and mentally reframe your thinking around this crisis. Accept the way things are, accept your fears around it, let it all be. If life is a school, what lesson is this experience teaching you? Sit with that question, look inward and be patient. Slow yourself down and look at this experience from multiple angles – find the most resilient perspective you can and let it expand your world view.

(For a deeper look at shifting perspectives, read Caught up Judging Your Situation? Here’s How You Can Flip Your Perspective and Grow)

See the World as It Is and Find Continuous Opportunities for Growth

Whenever you are faced with a situation, you can either choose to accept it or fight it.

When you fight it, you are constantly judging and questioning the experience – you use a lot of mental capacity in conflict with the way things are.

When you accept the way things are, you lose all this unnecessary mind chatter. Instead of being in conflict, you return to peace.

Since you don’t have control over most of life’s events, especially a world wide epidemic such as COVID-19, why not find peace through accepting the way things are? From there, you can come up with much better ways to contribute to the world, from a place of positivity and love.

You have the opportunity right now to find the love inside of all this chaos in the world. This uncertain time is good for you – practice patience, empathy, compassion, and equanimity.