When everything else is gone, only that what matters is left. Everything has been stowed in boxes, back in the car. I am ready to move out and move on.

I am sitting in the empty house, only my laptop, my camera and my notebook still with me. This is me. The journalist, the writer, the photographer, the explorer.

Profession vs Vocation

It has been hard times when it comes to journalism, I’ve thought many times to quit last year. The scenery has changed, I did not find enough space and hearing for research journalism. I was tired and wanted to quit. Yet, I couldn’t do it. To me, journalism wasn’t a 9 to 5 profession, yet it was a 24/7 vocation. So, I learned to rest instead, and learned to return to another passion that energises me as much: hospitality.

Even though, I haven’t sold an article for a while, let alone earned money with journalism all together, I’ve never really ceased activities. I continued exploring, wondering, wandering and writing, making podcasts and vlogs, adding up on my blog. Having always my notebook and camera with me, just in case. When everything else is gone, only the essence remains. I am a journalist by heart, which never will fade away. Moreover, I’m a writer, and this is what I do in times of Corona: I write.

The Attic of your Potential

This applies even more in times of a lockdown, when people are forced to stay at home, work from home, live, think and breath at home, and spend their entire time between the four walls they ever turned into the symbolic borders of their territorium.

Especially if you lose your job, which often gives somehow structure and meaning to the days, it can be confronting to see what else is left. For some people it might be enlightening to discover some parts of them they’ve never knew they even had, or they had stored in the basements of their souls due to a lack of time, energy, money or all together; and more often even due to a lack of belief in one’s own potential.

Time to Shine

For them, this is a time to shine. When the world has been put on hold, and if you are in a fortunate blessed position that your government or others will take care of you, stop holding your horses and shine your light. Maybe you always wished you had more time to write, to paint, to read, to catch up on a certain topic, or to finally take that study you never had time for.

When you’re forced to stay inside, take the time to light your torches and walk down to the basements of your soul, to the attic of your potential. Look for those hidden treasures, those sleeping talents ready to be explored and grown.

Before the world as we know it has come to an end, I used to joke to people how badly I wished I had a huge pause button to stop the world, so I could write more and construct my new company, who both have been chilling on the attics of my potential, until that blessed moment I would find the time to wake them up again. Little did I know that the world could effectively be put on hold. Yet, I did not want it to become this extreme, but since we’re here all now, it might be good to take a step back and look to our sleeping talents.

Everyone got talent

Know, a talent is as meaningful as you make it. You might have the time now to improve your cheesecake recepy, or to fine tune your garden; to learn a new instrument, or to think through a business concept of what you after Corona will create.

As long as it energises you, inspires you, and gives you a feeling of direction those moments you feel lost, you are on the right track.

And if you walk down there, shine your light inside, but don’t find anything, don’t panic. This is the time to plant seeds as well, this is the time to start out of nothing. When the things that once were, are gone, there is heaps of space, time and energy to grow something new.

This is the time to explore, and find what you were maybe even not looking for.

This article is part of the series of Hope in Times of Corona. Read on how this times of self-isolation should not mean loneliness, on how you can contribute to this battle, on how gratitude lights up the dark, on how united we will stand strong. and on the most util strategy in awake of a crisis or on how I got blown of my feet as well, but caught by many caring hands, or on how being calm can get us through the storm. And what about Love in Times of Corona? Or wait until tomorrow, when I’ll shine another light on yet another positive corner of this dark times.