Fortitude.
keeping your head above water in a pandemic.
It's something that everyone is sick of talking about, but in the same breath, it's all anybody knows how to talk about anymore. Small talk that used to consist of medial topics like the weather or phrases like "what did you do this weekend?" have now been replaced with chats about the latest daily infection numbers and vaccine percentages. In fact, I went for lunch with an old friend a couple of months ago, and as an experiment, I tried to go through the whole lunch without mentioning COVID and I found it incredibly difficult. To some people, it is comforting to talk it to death, almost like it gives a sense of control to know exactly what the current evolving situation is. I'll be the first to admit, I have been that person. There are weeks where I get incredibly anxious if I don't know the exact state of my province, only for me it stems from paranoia. Luckily i’m currently working again but i've been off three times since the pandemic began. I'm not sure which has been harder, not working at all or going to work knowing that each day could be my last. It’s a horrible way of thinking, I know, but for someone who’s only worked a handful of the last months, it is a real fear.
I don't think that people are giving themselves enough credit through all of this, honestly. Yes, it's been 19 months now and yes, i'm sure some people feel like it's the new normal but I want you to take a second to give yourself a pat on the back for surviving. The pandemic rollercoaster is real. There are days where I go from feeling (relatively) content, to crying over burnt popcorn in a matter of minutes. No matter what, I need you, whoever reads this to know that however you are feeling through this is VALID. If you're mad because the vacation to Mexico that you've been planning for a year got cancelled, that is totally fair. Are you absolutely heartbroken because you've had to push your wedding back for a third time? Relieved that this pandemic has finally given you time to slow down and enjoy your life again? GREAT. Everyone has different emotions and ways of coping through this weird time, and that's okay. Where I see a problem, is when people start to criticize others for just trying to keep their own head above water. If you're doing well through this pandemic, finishing the day with a smile on your face, all the more power to you, I applaud you, but please don't think that you have been given the right to look down at anyone who is not doing so well.
Moral of the story is to be kind to others and to be kind to yourself. You never know if someone’s mask is hiding a smile or a quivering lip. GIVE YOURSELF SOME SLACK TOO BUDDY. We’re all just doing the best we can, and sometimes a friendly smile (outdoors and socially distanced) or a couple of comforting words can make someone’s day. Sometimes starting your day by acknowledging that you’re still here and fighting is all that you can do. Soon enough (hopefully), the world will go back to normal and we’ll all be back at step 1 trying to figure out how to navigate the world without a worldwide pandemic to fight against. The idea scares me but also BRING IT ON.
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This thanksgiving feels more important than ever.
This year, i’m having trouble being thankful and I feel bad even saying that. Thanksgiving is a time to look back on the last 12 months and express gratitude towards the people you’ve loved, the places you’ve gone, the experiences you’ve had and the life you lived. I’m gonna be honest, this year was a crap fest for me and I have been doing more surviving that actual living. I’ve been in my lowest emotional state of the last 5 years, i’ve been forced into a work closure not one, not two, but THREE times. There have been cancelled vacations and honestly it feels like everytime I have something to look forward to, it gets taken away so i’ve just stopped getting excited. As Spencer Hastings once said, “that’s the thing about hope, it breeds eternal misery.”
By Laura Wiens4 years ago in Motivation
How I earn $100 in a day
There was a time when earning $100 in a single day felt like a fantasy to me. Not a goal — a fantasy. I remember staring at my phone late at night, doing small mental calculations: If I earn $5 today and $10 tomorrow, maybe by the end of the month… Even those numbers weren’t guaranteed. Some days, nothing came in at all. And that silence — the absence of notifications, emails, or messages — was louder than failure. People online love to talk about success like it’s loud and shiny. For me, it was quiet. Heavy. Full of doubt. The day I earned $100 didn’t begin with excitement. It began like every other day: tired eyes, a slow morning, and a question I kept asking myself — Is this even worth it? What kept me going wasn’t motivation. It was necessity. I didn’t suddenly become smarter or more talented. I didn’t discover a secret website or a hidden trick. I simply stopped waiting for the “perfect” moment and started using what I already had. I offered small digital work. Simple things. Work that wouldn’t impress anyone on social media — but work that people genuinely needed. And I did it sincerely. That day, the first payment came in early. It wasn’t big. Just enough to remind me that someone trusted me with their money. That feeling mattered more than the amount. Later, while I was offline, something unexpected happened. A digital product I had created earlier — something I almost didn’t upload because I thought it wasn’t good enough — sold. Then it sold again. I stared at the screen for a few seconds, unsure whether to smile or stay calm. By evening, another small task came my way. Then one more. None of these moments felt dramatic. No fireworks. No victory music. Just quiet confirmations that effort, even imperfect effort, still counts. When I finally added everything together late at night, my heart paused. It crossed $100. I didn’t jump. I didn’t celebrate. I just sat there — still — because for the first time, the number felt real. What hit me hardest wasn’t the money. It was the realization that I had been underestimating myself for a long time. I believed earning like this was reserved for “others” — more confident people, more skilled people, luckier people. That belief was wrong. Earning $100 in a day didn’t change my life instantly. But it changed something inside me. It replaced doubt with proof. And proof is powerful. Now I understand something important: money doesn’t always come from doing big things. Sometimes it comes from doing small things consistently and with sincerity. Some days I still don’t reach $100. Some days are quiet again. But the fear is gone. Because once you know something is possible, it stops being a dream and starts being a process. I no longer wait for motivation. I work, even when I feel unsure. I trust that effort never disappears — it just takes time to show itself. If you’re reading this while feeling stuck, tired, or invisible, I want you to know something honestly: You’re not behind. You’re just early in your story. And one ordinary day — without warning — things can start to add up.
By Shah Fayaz 4 days ago in Motivation
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