What did you do during COVID19 time?
Fast forward to March 2023 and you are standing in the late afternoon sun having a drink with colleagues after work. Three years have passed since the troubled times of today; some things have changed dramatically, others remain comfortingly similar.
After a brief clink of glasses, the conversation turns to the times of self isolation. Where were you? How did you spend your days? Each person in turn reflects on the restrictions imposed on their lives, the difficulties overcome and the lessons learned.
Today we live in those times, and while it may be unsettling and scary, never before has the whole world had a chance to slow down and pay attention to what is important. The future as we know it may be uncertain, but therein lies the possibility to change the direction of where we are heading, both individually and collectively as a species.
The two faces of Corona
Good and bad. Black and white. Life and death. Yin and yang. We must not forget that while some doors are closing on us, others are opening.
National lockdowns, curfews, daily reports of rising death rates, shops and restaurants closed, we are living through a chapter of history. As of today we are unsure of where it will end. However, we must remember that hope and fear are two sides of the same coin, and for once we have the agency to choose which way it will fall.
The whole world has suddenly been forced to stop, slow down and think about their lives, habits and loved ones. We are suddenly frightfully aware of the elderly and vulnerable in society, those who have always been present but mostly ignored. Now neighbours are reaching out to help, families are talking more, we are thinking of how our actions might affect others.
Some supermarket shelves may be empty; not because food is in short supply, but because people are panic buying. This is not a war, no bombs are dropping. Our shortages are due to a fear of the unknown. Take stock of what you actually need to survive and try the supermarket again tomorrow. A tenth of the world has no money to even buy food, and many more have limited access to nutritious food. Despite empty shelves, many of us live in the most prosperous time ever.
Our views of working life have changed overnight, as have our appreciation for those who do essential work within a society. The discussion has been opened on Governments safety nets, light shed on those who really need support and tax breaks, and on the realities of a nurses’ life saving role. Hopefully we will see more money redirected to the NHS, increased salaries to those essential roles within society and more support to projects helping the most vulnerable.
Businesses have been hit hard, as well as economies, but this is also a chance to re-address the notion of limitless growth, how companies support and treat their workers, and to find a better balance between localism and globalism. Now, more than ever, we need our local businesses to stay afloat, and as we rely on each other, we start to rebuild local communities. Perhaps our models of business are outdated, and we can start to explore other ideas. After all, necessity is the mother of invention.
We have also never before seen the sky so blue, or the roads so empty of traffic. These are the first steps to actually reaching ‘Net Zero’ emissions targets. While the virus continues to claim more lives, it’s estimated many times more will be saved due to pollution reduction. We have been able to adapt the way we work, act and travel overnight, and are experimenting with alternate ways of living that are available to us. We are also starting to appreciate the nature around us. Some of these new habits will be worth keeping.
What did you do with your COVID19 time?
Traditionally, we humans have travelled to escape ourselves or to find ourselves. We’ve flown thousands of miles in order to sit in retreats or compare our daily lives with others. But with the onset of a contagious virus spreading with movement, we are now forced to meet ourselves at home. With an invisible enemy outside, we are experiencing a range of thoughts and emotions, mostly new to us; a full spectrum from fear to greed, from selfishness to an intense desire to reach out and help others. We may feel helpless, useless, insignificant, alone. We are faced with our own mortality.
Regardless of whether we find a vaccine for the virus, get the spread under control or continue to live our lives around it, we will forever remember this period of our life.
Where were you? How did you spend your days? Did you listen to your emotions or distract yourself from them? Did you try to connect to your spiritual self? Did you use your time well? Did you dream, learn, create, reach out, help, try?
These are questions we must ask ourselves today, and we must act to cultivate opportunities to make the world better. Our future is still being created, and the foundation of that future is today.
As the Dalai Lama said back in 2017, “We are facing a time of great uncertainty and upheaval in many corners of our planet. When it comes to making the world a better place, concern for others is tantamount. Our future is very much in our hands. Within each of us exists the potential to contribute positively to society. Although one individual among so many on this planet may seem too insignificant to have much of an effect on the course of humanity, it is our personal efforts that will determine the direction our society is heading.”
