Kinda Alone Together ( In Crazy Times)

What is the real cause of the Covid-19 Coronavirus?

A consequence of our human habitats encroaching nature? Was it willed into existence by collective karma? Is it a divine judgment? I know, It's the plan of the Illuminati!

They're kinda all hypothetical means to the same end.

Whatever the origin, this is an epic sign. And a golden opportunity to take stock and reassess our individual and collective impact on each other.

For me, this manifests itself in three questions

Have you ever felt more globally connected?

In moments of global devastation – or elation – we lose the boundaries we put between us. The oceans that part continents. The borders that define countries. The fences that separate our neighbors. When someone from Romania makes a meme about running out of toilet paper, we think ‘ Oh, same!’ When Karen from accounts jokes about her cat photo-bombing her during a Microsoft Teams video conference, she gets likes from her FB friends all over the world.

Thinks about that… Your experience is their experience. We’re more same than different.

Have you ever had more time for those you love?

There is rarely an event that causes this much widespread disruption to humanity. Never before have businesses had to get this creative about their workforce. Work From Home (WFH) has revolutionised the typical office worker’s role and forced an evaluation of productivity, engagement and autonomy.

And this army of WFH'ers has given itself permission to prioritise or work / home balance. Don’t believe me? Ask your kids or pets. Don’t tell me they haven’t been profoundly impacted by your increased presence at home.

Think about that… your kids or your pets are cherishing the extra time with you.

Do you care less about what you're 'owed'?

This is a crucial one. We’ve had our health and livelihood threatened by this outbreak but if we’re honest, one thing we’ve suddenly and sharply felt is our sense of entitlement being challenged.

'But I need more than 20 rolls of toilet paper!'. 'But I bought tickets to that gig!'.

'But I wanted linguine and the only thing on the shelves was fettuccine!

I call it the 'get over yourself’ moment. At some point, you will see or hear the misfortune of others and realise that your pre-covid priorities and preferences might have been a bit precious. You will feel that what you have is more than enough. You will be content.

Think about that... life really does 'owe' you squat... to be blunt.

And beware... what you do 'earn' can also be an illusion.

There are plenty of Covid quotes and memes out there today, but this one does it for me.

'In a pandemic, self isolation is called quarantine. In Buddhism, it is called... retreat.'

Do me a favour... Think about these three questions, because before things do go back to normal, I really hope you can stop and ask yourself what you really need to take back with you.

Namastay-at-home!