The way I see it, Life is the teacher and we are the students. We have a personalized curriculum called Karma with lessons to learn and opportunities to demonstrate both what we have learned and what we still need to learn. Sometimes lessons extend beyond the personal, they affect groups, even the global community like this pandemic.
There is no denying that currently our usual, habitual ways of thinking, feeling and doing day-to-day life are being interrupted. We are being asked to think and act in new ways. One of the criteria to create something new is to stop thinking and doing what we have always done. That creates space to learn, grow, develop, and evolve.
Pausing or being taken out of our habitual ways calls our attention to big questions. Our eyes are opened and we are able to see in new ways. If you need proof that we are all in this together, look around and see the truth in this platitude. Streets and businesses are empty; by staying apart, we are cooperating in collective problem-solving of our collective problem.
We are responsible for following social directives to keep ourselves and others safe and have personal responsibility to consider questions about how we will do so, and decide what will contribute to the collective consciousness during these trying times.
It is possible that we can make changes that will lead to a more humane society. How will you answer these big questions and contribute to growth and renewal on a personal and global level?
1. Discern what you need from what you want. If you have what you need;cultivate gratitude for it.
2. How do you balance personal and social responsibility? Do you fortify yourself with rest, exercise, healthy food, recreation and social connection as well as avoiding toxins to be healthy so you can then help others?
3. The planet earth is our shared home. We have witnessed a rise in sea levels and an increase in dramatic climate events yet we know nature can regenerate given the chance. What can we do to reduce pollution of the air, earth and water; taking better care of the planet?
4. How can you both do your best and let go of what you cannot control at the same time? combining these two gestures increases effectiveness and reduces burn-out – to maintain optimism while addressing very real challenges at the same time. Do you do what you are able and hope for the best?
5. Can you imagine a world where seeds of social equity are sewn during a time of social distancing, where justice replaces prejudice, where enough is the new standard of success and compassion connects all people? Take the time to create a picture of this world on paper in words or drawings, then post it where you can look at it often.
For those of us who are at home, give thanks to all those on the frontlines and recognize you have been given a moment of pause with time to think and consider big questions. We can recreate ourselves and our systems and begin anew. Once you have created a vision of the world you imagined, begin new habits of living accordingly. This is the challenge and the opportunity of this time.
