Who Will You Be Once The World Starts Again?

So, this is a question that I’ve asked myself innumerable times since the beginning of this pandemic and the thereafter lockdown. I have even attempted to question a few of my friends and always got evasive and very contrasting answers. So, I decided to do what I do best nowadays and put pen to paper and dwell deeper ... 

 

It’s a half serious question but serious food for thought. What would I be able to offer my fellow humans if the need arose? What useful skills do I possess? My kids having stayed home and observed me intensely say I would be an amazing “community agony aunt “always happy to lend an ear and non-judgmentally hear the woes of all and give helpful advice (only when asked to). I could definitely add some wicked sense of humour to the otherwise grim situation but I don’t know how much that would be needed in these times of practicalities. 

 

But what else could I offer? What useful skills do I possess? I consider myself to be quite the multi tasker, juggling many roles in one due to which I’m pretty resourceful and I didn’t ever think of these as true skill sets until I started imagining my role in this new community.

 

I start thinking of what we all will be once this global crisis is over and we all settle into the “new normal”. How sad would it be if we all remained unchanged by this huge change forced upon us?

 

The big stuff in life should absolutely change us otherwise who would we be; if we stubbornly refuse to grow and learn from these experiences. It is absolutely impossible to say that any one of us have experienced anything of this magnitude and however tragic and terrifying; it’s also an opportunity for us to learn and grow and progress from it. I feel this is no less than a once in a lifetime opportunity.

If the other side of this looks exactly the same as the well-trodden path we are already used to walking on then with a little economic and / or grief thrown in the mix; this whole story definitely lacks an imaginative end.

 

Let’s then say that this global crisis makes us more imaginative, compassionate, generous and stronger human beings.

 

Say we emerged from this as someone we were always meant to be versus who we are told to be? 

 

Imagine, if we came out of this bolder and pushed ourselves to actually follow our dreams since our mortality has been questioned. 

 

What if we start saying things that need to be said, commit to the ones we love and leave the ones we don’t? What if we were to embark on new adventures and bury the old memories which don’t serve us anymore? What if we were to live the lives we always wanted but never had the courage to before?

 

The world will need more peacemakers, story tellers, magicians, alchemists, serious environmentalists and above all honest and compassionate originals - no carbon copies! 

 

Imagine, if we all got together as a shared humanity and put all our individual agendas aside. And realised and helped the planet which we took so easily for granted and earlier looked the other way to countless actions and talks on climate change and global warming. Imagine, if the political parties kept their differences and selfish ulterior motives aside for once and joined hands as a community to actually and really help the world to be a better place to not just live in or survive in but to actually thrive in. Imagine, if we were to help those in need without them having to actually beg for it? Imagine, if we all collectively insisted on humane treatment of all living things specially the ones who can’t voice themselves and if we were to become their voice. Imagine, if we actually built more community gardens and trees instead of just teaching the same to our kids from their EVS textbooks and putting up a post on our social media once a year on World Earth Day. Imagine, if we actually protected nature with the same fervour as we would protect ourselves. 

 

As I imagine this parallel Universe for us I’m doing the only thing I can - I’m doing my best to raise my boys for such a future in the hope that it may just be a drop in the ocean but it’s my part I’m playing to raise a future filled with the guts and grind; full of humanity and courage to change things a little at a time. Good grades will follow but a strong mind, soft heart and inner happiness and peace is of prime importance today more than ever. I’m taking care of myself by having my vitamins daily and exercising. I meditate to calm myself and practise affirmations to raise my frequency and enforce self-worth and inner calm. I feel I’m definitely more connected and focused and fully present in my life like never before. I’m learning new things, dabbling with new hobbies, sitting with some very uncomfortable feelings to figure out who I want to be and how I want to live once this is all behind me.

 

Things that don’t matter are automatically falling away and things and people that do are automatically coming into my life and shaping it bit by bit. I’m paying attention. I’m practicing compassion. I’m not taking anything for granted.

I think the world needs all of us to be living more deeply and intentionally. The world needs more of us to actually remove our masks (how ironical right?!) and become our most authentic selves without being shameful of looking flawed.

 

When the world turns and becomes normal again - who will u be? 

Will u emerge unchanged and turn to business as usual even though the face, shape and operating mechanisms of businesses, education and health have completely changed?

 

Or will you emerge as that rising phoenix with eyes of fire and warmth in your heart to be that change? Will you be kinder, stronger and filled with so much love? Will you have the courage to change the rest of your life or continue “going with the flow” as you always have been?

 

Will you be who everyone told you; you were supposed to be? Or will you finally have the gumption to be who you actually are?