How did this happen?

Did we ever think something like this would happen in our lifetime? How bad is it?

Will it get worse? Will we all be ok?

Aaaahhhhhhh!

And the list of questions keeps increasing and the answers only seem to create more questions. I need time to ponder over this. TIME

In this period of uncertainty, the one thing that we have available is the one thing that we take for granted – TIME. This TIME has given us all an opportunity to reflect. Reflect on what happened, what is happening and what the new norm is likely to look like. There is a sense that the fabric of life that has provided an artificial layer of comfort for us is bursting through the seams and the current situation has pierced into the heart of our mundane ( in some cases ) day to day routines. Oh, what do we do I hear plenty of acquaintances say. We have looked for comfort in several online programs, we have attempted to do many things to compensate for not going out. Isn’t this the time when we should be brave enough to venture deep into our souls?

We now have time and we are not sure what to do with it. I read a beautiful yet hard-hitting article penned by a person suffering from terminal cancer who has had to self isolate for safety reasons. He knows his time is near and while he was ready to face the eventual end, all he wanted to do was spend his remaining time with loved ones. Unfortunately, time is slipping away in front of his eyes literally in isolation. I am sure there are several such stories which hit us hard but rather than feel the momentary pang in the heart, should we not motivate ourselves to make better use of our time on this earth. If not anything major, a simple life where we are content would be a good start wouldn’t it? Don’t we owe to that ourselves?

The best way to utilise time in a situation like this is through Self Reflection. Such a simple terminology and such a simple thing to do and yet most of us shy away from it. It’s an irony that we are happy to look into the mirrors with vanity but we are not able to look into the souls of our own being. ‘If you can’t go out, go in’ said an Instagram quote. Sounded cool so I tried. Boy, it wasn’t as simple as it seemed. The mind is so set on being distracted that being calm, silent and without disturbance seemed stressful. I still did valiantly try though to reflect and oh the questions were never-ending. Is this nature’s reset, is it god’s will, are we being tested, is there a god, why is life so difficult, what is life btw – oh dear lord. You see how in a few moments of self-reflection, I started questioning life in its entirety.

I then for the purpose of sanity try to switch to news and all that we see is an abundance of negativity packaged in various forms and by the time you switch from one channel to another in search of news, you are left wondering if there is any point at all in existence. Was it not only a few months ago, we had mass unrest in Hong Kong, the Mueller report in the US, the Brexit in the UK, the issues in South America, Africa, New Zealand, the machiavellian tactics we have seen in India. I mean as human beings were we not too busy fighting with each other? Who or what is this virus which has taken away our efforts to destroy our own self and our world?

Who imagined that something that we cannot see, would literally turn the world upside down?

In such testing situations, when everything seemed to be lost or in vain, you hear stories that offer a glimmer of hope, stories of valour, stories of compassion, stories that create that feeling of unadulterated love to another fellow human being.

All the doctors and nurses who are literally braving it on a daily basis, putting their own lives at risk to ensure that they do their duty in protecting patients who need their help. You see volunteers from different walks of life, pitching in to do tasks that offer them nothing in return. You see countries talking to each other and reaching out to support each other ignoring the boundary lines that are meant to divide them. You hear people of one religion standing up in support of their brothers and sisters from another religion when the situation has called for it. You see people coming out and feeding stray dogs to make sure they don’t go hungry. You see that most people, in general, have it in them to show that degree of kindness and compassion that the world so desperately needs. We do have goodness still.

So there is hope, right?

So what do we do as individuals? It’s evidently obvious that in this time of isolation and social distancing, what we crave for is human connection. We are social creatures who love the feeling of being loved and to offer love. We should aim to focus and spend time on building these relationships and to break down barriers. It’s not about race, religion, country, caste, creed, sect. All that is absolutely useless. We are all just mere human beings who are passing by earth with limited time on our hands. How wonderful it would be if we could just make that time worthwhile and happy for us and others. Does this seem too much to expect and am I being in a crazy dreamland wishing for it? But hey, if someone said 6 months ago, the world won’t be fighting within itself but a common enemy and the enemy is a virus, that would have been a crazy dreamland too, right?

So I choose to believe. I choose to believe and have faith in humanity. Whilst my heart is saddened by all the people who have lost their loved ones, I still believe that good things will come and we will be ok and our faith in each other will be restored. It’s natural to be scared, fearful and apprehensive and every life-changing event in this world has only brought on something new and better. Let us hope that the outcome of this challenge is a world where we live in peace and unity. Ignore the negativity that can engulf us and focus on the positives that are there and let’s hold onto them. Even if it’s the smallest dose of a good thing, let us still hold onto it.

So when you next get a chance don’t hesitate to offer that hand of help, hug tighter, love harder, smile sweeter, laugh louder, be a child and enjoy every breath of air that we are lucky to inhale. A good team is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Similarly, the positive collective consciousness of all of us has the power to overcome what we are facing now.

I know things are quiet at home for some of you but like Rumi said, “Listen to Silence. It has much to say”. It told me lots.