(art by @th3looobah on instagram)

It has been a month since the commencement of the firm actions from several countries, including my country, Saudi Arabia, in dealing with the global pandemic: COVID-19, or the corona virus.
This disease initiated approximately by the very end of this past December, in China, specefically the city of Wuhan. It is mainly identified by respiratory difficulties and dry coughs.
When the news surrounding the virus first broke in, people around the world did not take the matter seriously, and the majority were uneducated, to a relative degree, on its causes, effects and preventions; most probably because they figured it was the same as any disease that comes and goes, but they figured wrong.
Unfortunately, it was stereotyped, and an abundant number of distasteful jokes and remarks were directed at the Chinese, despite the suffering of their people.
Soon enough, as the pandemic's spread has been exceptionally fast, it reached other countries in Asia, then Europe, then the Americas. Now, it has made its mark around the world, and is now considered a global pandemic.
Almost everywhere you go, regardless of the country, there are curfews. The restaurants are closed, and if they were open, they would absolutely disallow dining in. The vast majority of workers, whether they work in the private, or the public sector, are required to work from home. Students cannot go to schools, nor universities anymore, and so they must do as the workers. Flights are stopped and airports are shut. Families are on lockdown, with the exception of grabbing the necessities from grocery stores.
Just when you think you are secure, just when you figure you're set, the entire world could change around you, in the glimpse of an eye.
Just as you settle with what you have, and what's around you, a Hiroshima might strike, and this time, it struck us; the entire world, with the mask of this singular pandemic.
We are definitely encountering a unique, historic situation.
Naturally, it will decide the fate of numerous nations, but beforehand, and more importantly, the fate of individuals, for they are the creators and builders of societies and nations.
I listened to Israel Adesanya; an MMA middleweight world champion, give his thoughts on the situation, and he said: "Mark my words; this will make or break some people." I agree with Israel. Even though we live in a time in which the living conditions are easier to endure than that of the antecedent times, and the technology is much more improved and upgraded; the general mental toughness of individuals, and therefore, societies, have taken the opposite road, and degraded.
Henceforth, a lot of people are prone to become broken, especially, if they are inexperienced in hardship.
Yet, tough, durable and strong minded people still remain, and they refuse to fall or give up at such a time of difficulty, no matter how difficult.
However, in my opinion, the options are not just to make it or to break, for you could make it, but barely so, and manage to only retain an insignificant portion of yourself, then, become unrecognisable to yourself, before others, in the aftermath.
Thus, our challenge is to overcome this most singular situation, with our souls in preservation.
Mixed Martial Arts coach; John Kavanagh, explains the necessity for efficiency in training with his saying: "Update the software without damaging the hardware." And he refers to the improvement of skill and technique without the engagement in rough matches (sparring sessions) that has consequences on the body.
But in the case of our 'fight' with the pandemic; it is the software (Soul & Mind) that must avoid the damage.
A question might be raised: How do we overcome the situation, and how do we avoid the damage? Well to begin with, we must truly accept the reality of the situation. A part of accepting it is to recognise the possibility of the situation's continuation for a long period of time, and consequently, prepare in accordance.
Acknowledging that possibility, is on its own, a proper preparation, for that mental awareness could prove to be enough to save you from your own possible fantasies about a swift ending for the pandemic, and the situation as a whole. Now, maintaining a positive, hopeful wish for a quick ending is nice. However, a mistake that I observed as for the people's handling of the situation, was their 'predictions'. They are trying to predict when the situation is going to end; doing so in a wishful manner.
Now, it might be said that it's just a prediction, and that is genuinely the case with some, but mostly, I don't see it as that, alone.
Some, are making predictions, but what they do afterwards, is they get attached to that prediction, and when that happens; they subconsciously believe it and treat it as a given, even if they initially know it's not. And so, when the specified time of their prediction comes around, without being fulfilled; that is precisely when they break down.
When you cling on, too hard, to anything in life, you get yourself clearly exposed in the aftermath. In a striking (Boxing, Kickboxing, or MMA) encounter; it is very ill-advised to commit heavily for a strike, because if you miss; you will leave your body exposed to absorb a brutal blow, for your body would not be properly positioned to defend the countering strike, due to your over commitment.
If you commit, with all your power, to a football (soccer) shot, you are prone to miss the target, as well as to land on the wrong foot, and possibly injure yourself.
If you cling to a specific strategy in chess, and rule out the alternatives for yourself, then your chances of winning would diminish, or possibly vanish.
However, even though there are consequences for the commitments and the clinging in all of the aforementioned examples, yet remains, at least, a thing to be achieved, if the plans behind those commitments work.
That cannot be said in the case of clinging to a hope to be fulfilled, because a swift ending for the pandemic could happen whether you cling to the expectation or not, so, it would be more logical to not get your hopes up, and prepare for the worst, for if you do, and you truly accept the 'possibility' of the entirety of the situation, with all its sudden changes, continuing for the long run, then you won't be bothered by it, as you logically should not be, if you came to terms with that possibility/expectation.
Envision a family member informing you that you have a guest coming to visit at a specific time, and leaving at a certain time; you would be prepared for what you've been told, but if the guest notably spends more time than you expected, then, you might be disturbed, and you would not be unreasonable in doing so, as what occurred was out of the realms of your preparation.
Now, imagine that same family member, asking you beforehand, to prepare for a guest who might stay for months. If you have been told; then it would be illogical for you to be troubled by the situation, for you were already given the time to come to terms with it.
Now picture that family member notifying you that the guest might stay for very long, (but might not). In this case, you have the choice to prepare for either of these choices, but choosing anything besides the former, is evidently irrational. Why? Because if you prepare for a short stay, and the guest ends up staying for long; you would not be able to cope with the period that is past your expectation, whereas if you are ready for a prolonged stay, then you won't be disturbed, no matter the period, and if it ends up being quick, then you would proceed with your life, as it was prior to their stay.
Finally, imagine that the guest was an unpleasant one, and their name was COVID-19.
Take the necessary measures, prepare, and proceed.
Such, in my point of view, is the approach to handle this historic situation.