There is no going back to what life looked like before COVID, and do we really want to? With each challenge in life, we move to another space. You may think to yourself when this is over, I will get back to normal. What is normal? What worked before will probably not work now. We have all changed.
The COVID-19 pandemic is the most significant life-changing moment for all of us, every generation, every state, every country, a global challenge that has affected everyone. It might possibly be the most prominent life challenge of all time. It happened fast. Its lasting effects will linger and change us forever. Is that such a bad thing? Change?
We have been moving at such speeds, working harder and longer than ever in history with all the new technology. Like a hamster in a wheel spinning and spinning to get where? To experience what? Rushing from one moment to the next, rushing, multitasking, rushing, working, rushing, over delegated, rushing…
Then. It. Slowed. Down. There was nothing open except for essential businesses. Nowhere to go as we were asked to stay at home. The roads emptied of cars. At first, it was awful. Our minds were used to running fast, and so our thoughts were coming and going at speeds with no place to get away from them. Anxiety kicked in. Panic. Then. Our. Minds. Started. To. Slow. Down.
We woke up later. We relaxed over breakfast and cooked more. We had more conversations. We spent more time with our kids and families. We worked on puzzles and played games. We toured museums and listened to stories read online. We zoomed with friends and families far away. We worked from home. We went to school online. We cleaned. We decluttered. We went for walks and bike rides. We worked on projects that had been sitting neglected for years. We helped our neighbors and local businesses. We baked, We reconnected with ourselves and our priorities. The planet healed. Essential workers became heroes and kept us alive. We thanked them by singing and cheering nightly.
Yet we yearn for the next chapter. What will that look like? When will it come?
Take a deep breath. The world will move beyond this. It will look different. Perhaps we will have more empathy for each other. Volunteer more and continue to help our neighbors. A kinder world. Because we have had to slow down, maybe we will walk more. Take on fewer tasks. Appreciate more of the moments in life and prioritize what really matters to us. Be more creative, more innovative. Life, as we emerge, will be different for everyone.
Take some moments to look inside yourself, be kind, be curious, figure out who you want to be when the doors are opened.