It’s OK Not to Be OK. Two Years of COVID, and How Stories Heal Us Together

Social distancing may have us fearing being near eachother, yet stories bring us closer, building on two years of shared narrative. We’ve got this! Let’s storytell. Let’s reconnect.

It’s OK not to be OK. And I see it now, after two years of COVID, of external pressure. Even if we just graze over it, even if we deny it, the story has changed. And it’s OK.

You know why? Because it always changes. Even without COVID. And we’re allright, no matter what. We lose, we win, we cry, we scream. Yet we have human connection.

“STUCK TOGETHER”, directed by Dany Boon, on Netflix, helped me crack open. Really! :)) Meaning that I understood the fear and accepted my anxiety as… normal. And I cried of relief. Art is catharsis.

When we see ourselves and our emotions mirrored in someone else’s story, we get some unique sort of comfort. We connect on a human level. We feel relieved.

Because human connection heals. Love heals. And as long as we have eachother, we’ll be fine. Family, strangers, friends. We’re OK.

We each have our fears. We each have our losses. We grieve. Yet our joined humanity helps us feel safe. Our individual stories are part of a larger narrative. A story of humanity. These past two years changed us, yet we’re still here. Being there for eachother helps us heal.

I, for one, know I’m fine. And now I can also feel it physically. My muscles relaxed, and somehow all the angst is gone through me. It may come back, yet I accept it as normal. Normal, yet transitory. I’m OK.

Just let things flow. Relax. Enjoy. Laugh. Cry. Sing. Connect. And share the bond. Share the love for one another. That’s what heals us. Being there for eachother. Listening to our stories. Accepting people for who they are, know that we all make mistakes. We’re all hurt these years. Yet we’re OK.

Our stories have changed. And that’s OK. Reconnect to what really matters: loving eachother. We’re all scared, stressed, feeling trapped. Yet OK. Rewrite the stories after these two years. Adapt the narrative and learn from all the experiences we’ve had.

Personal branding after COVID is my business challenge. Will it matter to people? Will they need my help? How did their story change? Who are they now, after two years? Who do they want to be? Re-allign. Find ourselves again.

We don’t have to be like anyone else. We’re unique. And showing up just the way we are helps to genuinely connect to others on a human level. COVID put a literal mask over everyone.

Yet we crave connection. Who are we behind the mask? Let’s tell our story. Who is the “new us” today? The core is the same, I think. We just added a few fears. I know I did.

Introverts, extroverts, ambiverts… we all need human connection. Maybe in different ways, yet we all get this urge. We’ve got this! We’re OK. Our stories help us connect. They paint pictures in other people’s minds. They draw on similarities, joined experiences and help with belonging.

Personal branding may be a career marketing tool, yet it draws from our personal story, aiming to connect using similarities with our audience, with the people we want to connect to.

And after two years that threatened our connection, having or rebuilding a sense of belonging… heals. We’re all in this together, and our stories bond us.

Sharing the burden makes us stronger… at ease. In spite of our differences, we all draw on basic human emotions: we fear, we’re sad, we love. Together we heal. Through stories.

Use 20 minutes of my time to get clarity on your own story, your own personal brand. Pay what you feel like paying. No conditions in place. Outside of my business making a profit, I want to help.

Send me a message at denisa@oscarandsmart.com, and I’ll send you a link to book a call.

Cheers!

Image credits: Netflix & Danny Boon