The pandemic created an unexpected opportunity for people to learn some meaningful life lessons. One of those people was Zac Sheaffer, an entrepreneur and the owner of the online clothing brand Zamage. Here, Shaeffer shares four life lessons that the pandemic has taught him.

1. Always adapt

When the pandemic descended it was unexpected and unprecedented; there was no right way to handle a crisis that stripped away the most important facets of society. Sheaffer shares that he has learned to be willing to adjust and to be ready to pivot his plans. “As an entrepreneur, I always knew to expect the unexpected, but the pandemic has taught me to also be ready to adapt when the unexpected happens.”

2. Cherish your community

The year 2020 introduced a strange new oxymoron: social distancing, an idea that proposed being social and together but at a distance. Communities worldwide were told to create space between themselves and isolate away from each other. Sheaffer explains that seeing the divide that was suddenly erected between people made him appreciate his community more. “My business is based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and I had not realized the strength of the people there until I saw how they found ways to hold the community together despite the imposed distance.”

3.Trust yourself

When the panic of the pandemic descended, people were left without the support systems that previously helped them cope. Isolation made self-belief and self-care essential traits overnight. Sheaffer shares that the pandemic gave him a crash course in the importance of believing in himself. “I have always been a self-starter, but the pandemic taught me the power of self strength and it has inspired me to trust myself more.”

4.Life goes on

The pandemic has resulted in a huge loss of life and has taken away many people’s hopes for the future. Many found the idea of pushing forward through this crisis an impossible one to imagine. Sheaffer explains that through this bleak time he found a sense of perspective. “I watched life go on despite the many losses that were suffered, and it taught me that we are all more resilient than we realize.”

Zac Sheaffer shares that, overall, the pandemic has left him with vital life lessons that he is grateful to have learned.