Moving beyond the Mask!
The current global pandemic has necessitated that we adorn a new accessory — a mask! In many ways this mask has become part of our identity and our lives just like our mobile phones. Today, we proudly endorse these masks because they provide the much-needed protection from this virulent virus. The masks are promoted across news channels, social media networks, public places, healthcare units, educational institutes and even roadside vendors. Everyone is cognizant of its significance as we attempt to elude the emerging new variants of the virus. While we have adopted the notion that masks are our protective gear from this disease, we must appreciate that this security is only at a physical level. We are overly consumed with protection at the gross level, and have dismissed the other layers of our being, namely, our emotional, social and spiritual aspects that may also warrant preservation. Have we considered conserving our inner landscape as this virus is making its way closer home?
Children and teachers across the globe transitioned from the expansive campuses to a screen within a day’s notice. Just like the rest of the world, educators hoped that it would be a makeshift adjustment while the healthcare workers provided the sought-out answers and solutions. While we abided with the view that ‘the show must go on’, we created platforms and structures to sustain the rigor, focus and depth of academic achievement to gratify ourselves and justify the transition. Yet, none of us were prepared for this level of disruption nor the duration of the same. Today, a year later, online schooling seems to be the norm, as 1 billion students stay glued to their devices to continue learning. This prolonged interruption in the day of a student’s life now necessitates that we widen our focus from academic performance, grades, assessments and college applications to other facets of their lives. Even though no one envisaged or primed for such change, we find ourselves at the mercy of this significant alteration in our lives, with no end in sight!
In these times, all lines of communication between students, peers, teachers, parents and administration take place digitally. Teachers have to rise to the occasion and master the art of delivering best pedagogical practices using technology. Additionally, parents have to shoulder another added responsibility and are falling by the wayside as they grapple with the multitude demands placed on them. We pride our young shoots as malleable and quick learners who can grasp the technology required to function efficiently at school and with their friends. We are satisfied knowing that our children are resilient and are able to ride the waves. However, the question is not whether they can ride the wave but rather how they are riding it.
The coronavirus is like that a tsunami, brewing within the depths of the ocean to emerge and create havoc in our lives. It has not only strained us physically but has also bruised us emotionally, leading to intense degrees of fear, anxiety, rage, guilt, depression and doubt. These fierce feelings of fear and anxiety stimulate the reptilian brain’s survival instincts and releases hormones to keep us feeling stuck and helpless. Michael Singer in his book ‘The Untethered Soul’ (2007) states, ‘If you mistreat an animal, it becomes afraid. This is what has happened to your psyche. You have mistreated it by giving it a responsibility that is incomprehensible’. Each stakeholder involved in the process of learning and teaching is sifting and battling the relentless deluge of thoughts and emotions due to the rapid changes in our environment. These emotions have an adverse effect on the physical system as well and our immunity takes a direct beating, leading to further damage.
In the book, The Moments of My High Resolve, Howard Thurman shares that our best intentions are not derailed by monumental events. Rather, “details, lower-level demands, and cross-currents of life,” chip away at our purposeful aspirations. Maybe, it is now time to pay attention to these finer details and examine the internal demands on each life. We need to turn our gaze from the outside to the inside so we can acknowledge, access and explore the drama within. It is only when we are willing to witness the dance between fear and faith, between the sway of the external and internal forces that we can screen out the noise from the signals. We must reclaim our power and break out of this vicious cycle so that we can harness our limbic system, the emotional centre and operate from a space of faith, trust, stillness and surrender.
Emily Esfahani Smith in her Ted Talk, ‘There’s more to Life than Being Happy’ in 2017 addressed four pillars of a meaningful life, namely, belonging, purpose, transcendence and storytelling. This sense of belonging emerges from relationships where we feel valued for who we are, where we feel visible and worthy, says Emily. During these times, it is essential that we build, foster and nurture the foundation on which all education rests — the teacher & student relationship. It is only when our children feel recognized and heard that they will become happy and experience a sense of fulfilment. The Buddhist philosopher, Dr Daisaku Ikeda, uses the phrase ‘ningen kyoiku’ to describe humanistic or people-centered education as he believes that people are shaped by people. Children will reveal their ability to be resilient, adaptable and flexible only when fostered by nurturing adults through earnest interaction and inspiration. Additionally, the rising levels of disengagement at work and unemployment warrant us to establish our purpose or mission. In so many ways, our jobs define us and provide us with a sense of security. Yet, it is important that adults understand that one’s purpose moves beyond the various roles and responsibilities. We find our path when we use our strengths to create value in our life as well as the life of others.
Furthermore, we need to find the time and space to zoom out from the scurry of life and take a breath to find our source, our truth and our space of stillness. We need to transcend the ongoing clatter and feel connected with ourselves so we can ensure that our fuel tank stays full, and we are not running on reserves. Since we are diverse, unique beings, we need to find the tools and resources that we resonate with and track down those that feed us. There are a range of miscellaneous options available to us, including singing, dancing, sewing, cooking, different forms of yoga and exercising, taking hot or cold-water showers, connecting to nature by soaking our feet into wet soil or embracing the magnanimous trees, breathing, meditating and chanting. When we find and shine the light of our own being, we can use this torch to banish all darkness that surround us. Just like a traveling merchant finds his way to the sea or a child finds his mother, let us find our inner compass, our roots of strength and emerge. Lastly, our narrative must redeem rather than destroy us. We need to ensure that the stories we tell ourselves and our children are filled with hope and courage. The American journalist and physician Norman Cousins who was referred to as the “conscience of America” said the greatest power in the world, even more than the regenerative power of life is the power of hope. So, it is imperative to remind ourselves that just as every night turns into day and every winter turns into spring, all the darkness in our lives will be transformed as we illuminate our stories with the flame of hope.
In addition to the several invisible masks we wear, we have added another physical one too during the past year. Maybe this mask is a call for us to move beyond it and access our inner landscapes with the warm embrace of a mother and the courage of a soldier so we can support ourselves and our children. Since a global pandemic is a novel experience for each one on earth today, let us come together, harness our unique strengths and resources and overcome this collectively.
