COVID19 -The beginning of the end
“Growth is your willingness to evolve from lesser comfort to higher comforts through uncomfortable transitions”
- Mahatria Ra.
COVID 19 — the mere mention of this word is a bone-chilling experience. Given the horrifying devastation the world has witnessed due to this virus, it has been a true test of the time for all of us.
Never before in the history of human civilization has the entire world been affected by something potent and deadly as this. The whole socio-economic structure of the world has collapsed and recovery from here is going to be a daunting task for every nation.
This has resulted in worldwide lockdown with every business and industry coming to an abrupt halt. However, this testing time has also begun the end of certain aspects of human behavior which has been detrimental to our overall growth. It took a deadly virus to wake us up from the deep slumber and unhealthy comfort of these toxic attributes which we having been demonstrating with pride until now.
The abolition of these attributes paves in a way for a more conscious and mindful way of living.
This is the beginning of the
End of taking things for granted
“When everything is uncertain, everything that is important becomes clear.”
The majority of us did not care about our health before this calamity struck us in the form of COVID19. We all were under the impression of being healthy unless we fall sick. As a result we did not even consider pause for a moment and think about our health.
So engrossed have we been in this daily chaotic life that we ignored the very thing that allows us to be alive, our health. Sure, there must have been a few occasions when someone was sick, and apart from the occasional medical checkup and antibiotics nothing was serious. It was assumed that we are alright or we will be okay if something happens to us. We all took our health for granted for a long time.
We finally have awakened to the new reality. Look at the world now, sanitizers, masks, personal hygiene, social distancing are the terms we are not just using verbally but practically as well. In the present situation, it won’t be wrong to say that life has its way of teaching us important lessons and more often than not we make these lessons extremely hard for us to learn.
End of merely existing and not living
“In Zen
We don’t find the answers.
We lose the questions.”
The daily chores of professional and personal lives have been systematically ingrained within us to such an extent that we did not give a thought of the things we are doing and why we are doing them. The world operated just like a robot following commands fed in the memory.
We were so used to the daily routine of ours we hardly thought about being mindful and conscious of doing these things. Things have changed for better now. The worldwide lockdown has halted us and forced us to look not just at ourselves but also within ourselves. Making us question why we do what we do, the purpose of our work, and the intent behind the efforts we are putting in.
As a result, we are more mindful of what we are doing. The level of consciousness has increased and we have become more empathetic and understanding about this whole situation.
End of the materialistic approach
“ I think when the dust settles,
we will realize how very little we need,
how very much we actually have,
and the true value of human connection”
A good life was envisioned as a great house to live with the latest electronic gadgets which would reduce our human efforts to an all-time low and everything available at a click of a button or merely expressing our desires.
If that wasn’t enough a luxury car to drive, branded clothes to wear along with expensive accessories, cosmetics, footwear, exotic vacations and the list is endless, was our perception of happiness and success. Wardrobes were stuffed with many clothes, much more than what was essential. Shoe rack with more than essential pair of footwear were signs of prosperity.
The reality is we always desire things which can only give us momentary pleasure. COVID19 made us realize that in situations like these we don’t miss the materialistic things. What we miss is the human connection. The smile on the face, the glitter in the eyes, the warm hug, the firm handshake, a pat on the back all these things feed our soul. They are not just gestures but emotions which we expressed and now we need to hold back because we never really gave it the importance it deserved.
The lesson learned is that we don’t need much to survive. We can cut down on non-essential expenditures and yet have a decent and comfortable lifestyle. A minimalistic approach towards life is more fulfilling as we stay away from unnecessary clutter and give ourselves enough space to breathe and move freely.
End of selfish attitude
“The takers may eat better,
but the giver sleeps better.”
Ever since the pandemic started and the scarcity of essentials became more prominent, many known and unknown people have been generous with finances and supplies to feed the hungry and provide the needy. So many unsung heroes have emerged out of nowhere to do their bit for the society.
Mind you, nothing is stronger than a volunteer’s heart. Unlike earlier days where the society was more self-centered, this pandemic has shown us the good side of many people.
Helping fellow citizens as well as animals with food and water has been a revelation during these testing times. The ones who are well to do showed a great heart in helping the needy through their savings, and they are still doing it without a break.
The others have contributed a substantial share through their small and limited means which requires a huge heart as well. All these magnanimous hearts have shown us that it is very easy to be kind and selfless and we being fellow travelers have each other to give and seek support. More importantly the one who gives wholeheartedly never feels a pinch. Kindness and generosity are always reciprocated.
End of blame, excuse, and victimhood
“There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their soul. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”
- Carl Gustav Jung
We have always had this excuse of not having time to spend time with family or devout time to pursue a new hobby or learn a new skill. The lockdown has allowed everybody to sit down with their families and have those conversations which were brushed aside with the excuse of waiting for the right time.
It also ensured we spent our time with our loved ones and catch up on all those things which we missed out in our daily struggle of survival. More importantly, it has reiterated the importance of communicating our thoughts and expressing our emotions.
We have learned that our choices shape our present and future and the onus is on us. No one can be blamed for our loss. The responsibility is ours to fulfill. There are no two ways about it. These tough times have taught us to own our issues, our weaknesses, and our patterns and work on them. Slowly and gradually we are learning to let go of the past and accept the present as it is.
End of stereotype and preconceived notion
“Move outside the tangle of fear thinking. Live in silence.”
- Rumi
A lot of preconceived notions have been squashed in this pandemic. It has been severe on everyone, rich-poor, and young-old, literate –illiterate, everyone has been affected. With everyone at home and some professionals carrying out their work responsibilities from home, there has been an increase in daily chores.
People now have to manage work and home responsibilities at the same time. To add on, kids are at home due to schools being shut and parents now have the responsibility to look after and school their kids from home. Stress levels are bound to increase when you have multiple responsibilities to fulfill and to its full potential.
The situation has, however, made us realize the importance of coordination and teamwork. We are now seeing partners assisting each other in daily chores be it cooking, washing utensils, de-cluttering, gardening, schooling, and parenting kids, etc.
Everyone is involved in everything irrespective of gender and has made us more open and accepting towards donning new hats. This also indicates the mind shift happening at a holistic level where we are no longer giving into imaginary boundaries but are more rationalistic in our approach. We as a society are coming out of the conservative mindset and approaching things with an open mind now.
Without a doubt COVID19 has taken away a lot from us. Who knows, we might not go back to the previous lifestyle and see the current way of living being converted into the new normal.
It also has been a blessing in disguise in certain aspects of getting rid of the above-mentioned habits which never served us any good. As they say change is the only constant and in the given context we’ll never be able to stop the waves but we surely can learn to surf. That will serve us well in the long run.
