Glass Half Full

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organisation declared a COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, with 118,000 cases of the coronavirus identified in 110 countries.

Now, in December 2020, the total number of confirmed cases worldwide has passed 80 million, with more than 300,000 new cases confirmed each day, and as many or more unconfirmed cases. The fatality count stands at 1.8 million, with the numbers steadily rising. In many countries, schools are closed, restaurants and non-essential business are closed, and worldwide tourism has effectively come to a complete standstill. The economic and social impact is far reaching, and likely to extend on into 2021, 2022, and possibly beyond. There is no denying that the situation right now looks rather bleak. Focusing on the data and certain specifics is, however, like placing a magnifying glass on an object or image, increasing the magnitude of the problem to the point that it can become completely overwhelming. Turning the television on or flicking through social media sites unfortunately does little to alleviate the problem either, as the majority of news stories focus on something negative - very rarely do we read or watch a news story about something positive going on in the world.

It is therefore not uncommon, after a certain period of exposure to this continual bombardment of negative input, to find yourself waking up beginning your day looking at the world as a glass half full. But does it have to be this way?

I was thinking about my own life, as an example, weighing up all the things that I have to be thankful for in 2020, and I came up with a really long list, the top of the which was the birth of my son Eduard, who has brought so much happiness into our family- this alone is enough to tip the scales completely, easily outweighing the negatives by a country mile.

To this I can add the positive relationships I have with my other children, my wife, my friends, and my work colleagues- which do not come without investing both time and effort.

I have also made a conscious commitment to being fit and healthy, which again does not come without considerable effort, rising at 5.30am every morning to swim, with several runs and sessions on the bike scheduled into the week, whilst doing my best to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. I also know that I am lucky simply to have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and food on the table, when there are many people in the world who don’t. Everything I need to be happy in life is present, but most important of all is the final ingredient, being that I chose to be happy, to look at life positively, because it IS a choice we need to consciously make each and every day when we wake up. Just as we decide what clothes to wear, so too do we decide how to view life, and it is something we can teach our children- in this day and age, it may just be the most important lesson they learn, ensuring their life is one filled with positivity, friendship, love, and happiness.

As parents and teachers, we have a duty to raise our children up to become health, happy individuals, which means teaching them to see the world as a glass half full. Yes, there is a lot going on in the world right now that is cause for concern, but there is also much to be thankful for in our lives. 2020 may not have been the greatest year in some regards, but there was and is still much to be thankful for. I’m confidant if you did the math, you would quickly see that even in times of hardship, life can still be an incredibly valuable, and indeed beautiful experience.

Mr Kendall Peet

Head of School