Sometimes it takes a catastrophe to make a change. Sometimes it takes something that rocks our entire world, and causes much suffering, to take a global pause and see more clearly. It is fair to say that the world has gone through a shock, has been forced to pause and see things in a new way. It is fair to say that we are being humbled, that the cracks in our system are coming to light, and it is fair to hope that something good comes out of all this. A shift in the global trajectory, towards a more sustainable way of dwelling on earth, towards a deeper understanding of our interconnectivity, with the planet, all that exists here, and each other.
And that’s big stuff. What about the small stuff?
Similarly, on the personal level, sometimes it takes a catastrophe to realize what’s important, to see clearly, to glimpse the cracks in ourselves, to realize what we really want, and then find the courage to change.
Or at least use the crisis as an excuse to reinvent ourselves. Become more authentic, more like the person we want to be. Doing the things we really want to do.
Maybe we notice that we’ve been putting off expressing love to those that really matter and we want to start being the person that shows affection freely. Maybe after this deprivation of human contact, we want to start hugging more.
Maybe we realize we want to reconnect with an old friend whose value we underestimated.
Or, maybe we feel a sense of relief when we’re off the hook from seeing another group of friends. Maybe we never want to see them again.
Maybe we realize that we’ve been focusing too much on things that don’t really matter, and neglecting to nourish what does.
Maybe we notice how attached we are to certain conveniences, objects and habits and actually, it is possible to live without them, and be more free.
Whatever we feel, I hope we let ourselves feel it all. Feel it deeply and investigate. And learn.
Whatever insights we gain, I hope we don’t forget.