Embracing the New Normal

      If you asked us a year ago if we would be in this situation, we would have never believed it! Heck, who are we kidding, we wouldn’t have believed it a few weeks ago. But here we are in the middle of this pandemic, “forced” out of our comfort zone, whether we like it or not.  As more and more cities are put in lock down for the few of us still working it seems it’s business as usual, but it isn’t really is it? It’s hard to concentrate. We are being catapulted into a world of change; one we have never experienced at this level. It can be scary at times as the support of daily routines, scenes of hoard buying and regular outings and physical contact with family and friends sinks from beneath us, like the floor of a wild ride at an amusement park. Except this is not amusing, and we didn’t buy a ticket for this ride. In times like this, it’s easy to let fear and anxiety override, encroaching the dark corners of our minds as uncertainty looms and the stock markets plummet. But we must remember we are a resilient world. (For evidence of that, just read up on the plagues and disasters that ravaged us before). This one is of course different. Even still we are facing the same sort of adversities that our predecessors did; just under different conditions, different circumstances, filled with our own unique challenges. 

    As there is with most disasters (and ultimately past pandemics) there is opportunity for change, growth and recovery. Possibility as well for something new, something more. But only if we are willing to embrace change. (We have seen rapid adaptations by many businesses trying to stay relevant and survive this pandemic. For example, restaurants are doing only take out or delivery only, distilleries are manufacturing hand sanitizer, car manufacturers are being asked to halt their regular production line to assemble desperately needed products for Covid19 treatment centers and hospitals). In essence we have been forced into living differently already. Letting go of the constant adrenaline hum of the hamster wheel can seem daunting at first. But it doesn’t have to be.

     Several years ago, I sustained an injury which obligated me to make several changes in my life. I went through pretty much every phase. First, I relentlessly pursued options to fix it so that I could continue within the parameters of my defined comfort zone. Then, came a period of acceptance that things would not be as they once were in order for me to heal. Because to get better I was obligated to make some changes. I had to adapt. I had no choice. Because of these changes I had an abundance of time I’d never had before – ultimately a godsend because I needed it more than I realized. This gift gave me the benefit of lots of introspection and reflection. Deliberation about what was important to me and my life and what I needed to do to live a healthier life.  

    In the beginning I thought my injury was a burden, but in retrospect it wasn’t. It makes me think a lot about what is happening now. Beyond the illness and the fear perhaps the message is deeper. Because we are starting to realize what the vital things in life mean to us and how important they in fact really are. I am not downplaying the seriousness of this situation. It is indeed serious. But, perhaps beyond the seriousness of the illness and the ramifications at hand there is a greater message for all of us. In essence we need to contemplate that which is truly important and position ourselves to do better. Better for ourselves, the wonderful creatures we share the planet with (more than a billion of them having perished in the Australia fires this year alone) and the world, collectively.

    Our world is rich but a lot of what is focused on is not authentically enriching or satisfying. The elementary propensity of all the distractions, an omnipresent, underlying force in most first world countries - distractions that are causing long-term damage to our environment, the animals we co-habit with and the air we breathe giving us instant gratification; essentially pulling us away from the rich lives we deserve and are meant to live, like a magnet in a storm. We are so distracted, frenzied by the cocoon of busyness, that we do not realize how important, how vital it is to adapt, even live differently. So, we plunge forward thinking it’s the only way to do things, to get ahead because it will hurt our economy or ensure job security or indulge in some fictitious idea that this is the way life has to be. What if the purpose of what is happening now is ultimately to help us see how we can live better? We are already realizing this appreciation as many of the simple pleasures we took for granted dissipate whilst we are constrained in isolation. 

     In the aftermath after the dust settles and things start to return to normal will we really go back to all the distractions that had become the norm of everyday life for so many of us. Being habitual creatures, some of us might try. Still instead some may choose more of that which is truly meaningful in life and say “no” to the bombarded onslaught of what used to mean more, instead choosing something larger, fulfilling, real – more vital on a grander scale.

    I don’t know what the future holds and won’t pretend that it’s easy right now, but I think I read somewhere once, “the only thing certain is uncertainty.” So, as long as the sun shines outside and the birds chirp happily as Spring arrives in the Northern hemisphere I too will hold in my heart the hope of better things to come while living in the moment, as we journey these unchartered times and try to stay grounded in optimism as each wave of pessimism lurks above the horizon.