Innovative (ˈinəˌvādiv): featuring new methods; original and creative in thinking; advanced.
.

My generation isn't the FIRST innovative one (yeah, I know I said first but you get like three seconds to think on your feet and 30 seconds to talk in front of millions of people 🤷🏾‍♀️).
.

We are living in an era of innovation. When forced away from our offices and schools, we moved our meetings and classes online. Sweat sessions in gyms turned to home workouts guided by YouTube videos. What could've been isolation turned to unity through video calls with friends and tuning into live chats on social media.
.

I'm currently living in New York City, the epicenter of the COVID-19 breakout in the US. Reports of hospitals and healthcare workers becoming overwhelmed and running low on supplies and death and infection numbers rapidly increasing are, candidly, pretty terrifying. What gives me the most anxiety is the uncertainty of now—not knowing how long we must endure and what our lives will look like once we emerge.
.

This is what gives me hope: 1. Seeing the kindness of others, like the note posted beside the elevator bank in the lobby of my building. It went from a few volunteers to a page full of helping hands (I scratched out the apt #s). 2. Being inspired by the leaders among us racing to make a difference. Like @csiriano going from making jaw-dropping red carpet gowns to making face masks for healthcare professionals in dire need.
.

Each of us can do something to help and all of us have a responsibility to figure out what that is. You can encourage friends and family to practice social distancing while practicing it yourself. You can donate to organizations that are aiding our communities, like Feeding America. You can offer a word of support to the isolated, like seniors living in homes that have restricted visitation.
.

We are innovative. All of us. Be creative and figure out how you can help. The world needs it. . . needs YOU. #UniverseUnited

 New York, New York 
@chesliekryst ...read more