In the current pandemic scenario, we have been surrounded by a lot of negativity and uncertainties. Due to the current economic condition many of us are facing depression and are low on morale. Despite so much of negativity all around, any news that we come across about the progress in the development of the Covid19 vaccine cheers us up. We quickly want to update ourselves about the stage that the trials have reached and give ourselves hope that things will be better soon. This gave me food for thought and made me reflect upon how our minds works and how God has given us such a beautiful gift called the feeling of hope! This is a natural instinct that we human beings are born with- when a negative situation comes our way, we feel a little overwhelmed but soon we bounce back, full of energy and ready to fight back and overcome the circumstances we are in. The only reason for this is the hope within us which tells us that all is well.
This also reminded me of two inspiring Hollywood movies about human survival that I had watched a few years ago- 127 hours and Cast Away- which have inspired me time and again. In both the movies, the one thing that the protagonists had in common was the hope that they would get through their excruciating situation. In 127 hours, the protagonist gets trapped in the great canyon for 127 hours. While on a trekking expedition, he slipped in to the Canyon, knocking over a boulder that crushed his right hand and wrist against the wall. He screamed for help but no one heard him or came to help him. He was trapped and alone, and so to boost his own morale he started recording a video while still trapped under the boulder. He used all kinds of survival techniques to keep himself hydrated during the day and warm at night. He finally amputated his arm to free himself from the boulder and rescued himself. While he was trapped in a hallucinating state, he talked to his future son and that was probably the ray of hope that kept him going and helped him get out of the situation that he was trapped in. He kept his morale up and his hopes high which eventually helped him to get through the odds.
The same was the case with the protagonist and hero of the movie Cast Away who was stuck on an uninhabited island for four years after a plane crash. To keep himself from feeling lonely and keep his morale high, he drew a face on a volley ball and kept sharing his thoughts and frustration with it during this time. He finally manages to make a raft and ventures into the high seas, and is eventually rescued by a cargo ship. In both cases, the protagonist kept their hopes alive and did not give up. A recent survey about people having greater longevity also proves that those who have hopes and desires alive in them live longer than those who do not. Likewise, in the current scenario we need to keep our hopes and morale high and we shall overcome soon!!
Author:
Bhupinder Arora, Assistant Professor, Unitedworld School of Business (UWSB)
Disclaimer: The opinions / views expressed in this article are solely of the author in his / her individual capacity. They do not purport to reflect the opinions and/or views of the College and/or University or its members.
