As Alabama — and much of the world — deals with the coronavirus, New York Times best-selling author and internationally acclaimed speaker Andy Andrews has shared some powerful words of hope and encouragement.
An Alabama native, Andrews is known as a world-class storyteller, which he displayed last year at Yellowhammer Multimedia’s 2019 Women of Impact ceremony.
In a video released this weekend, Andrews told a story of great importance to current events — and one that many people may benefit from hearing. In the four-minute video, he gives a historical perspective on what we are facing now while inspiring and uplifting.
Andrews had this to say in a written summary about the video:
Hope? Yes! Even during the reality of the Coronavirus…
There is a perspective of truth that will encourage you—even during the present uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus.
In this video, allow me to take you back more than three quarters of a century to the Great Depression. The stock market had crashed, banks were closed, and unemployment was at 25 percent. This wasn’t just a time of economic crisis. Unchecked viral outbreaks sickened people and many of them were dying.
Franklin Roosevelt had just been elected our nation’s 32nd president, succeeding Herbert Hoover. In light of our present situation, it is a curious perspective with which we can revisit one of Roosevelt’s most familiar phrases: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Roosevelt knew that in times of crisis, fear can be as much an enemy as whatever caused the crisis… because fear can stall or completely stop the effort to find a solution.
With the reality of the Coronavirus becoming apparent, it’s important to remember that we have a history of rising to this type of challenge. Covid-19 is now the number one priority of researchers all over the world, and as the video proves, today they are better equipped and more knowledgeable than ever about how to deal with the challenge we face.
So, use wisdom. Take the necessary precautions and follow the recommended guidelines to help prevent the spread of the virus, but do not give in to panic. And know that, in the words of FDR, “this great nation will endure, as it has endured, and will revive, and will prosper.”
Watch:
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Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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