Tonight at midnight, the 21-day lockdown will begin in South Africa. We are all called to stay at home during this time and to stay safely away from contact with anyone else, except for our live-in family. It’s an unprecedented time and humanity is heaving with anxiety and stress about what may happen.
Personally, I feel somewhat excited at the prospect of having some breathing space to not have to rush around and ‘get things done’ and although I will still be working online (very grateful for that), I understand how this will cripple our economy and create fear for the future.
This is all to be expected but there is something more to be realized……
Regardless of how the virus came about the fact remains that as humans we have become greedy consumers wanting more, more, more and now we have no choice but to make do with less. This, in and of itself is not a problem since the situation will demand that we realize how unconscious we have been and how we need to step up our awareness of wanting less.
Yes, we will all have to cut down and cut back over the next several months, as we build ourselves up and ensure the safely of our families and loved ones, but can we remain humble and grateful during this time and maintain this attitude in the future?
The pessimists will say not! And with good reason since history has evidence of man’s ability to default into the mass consciousness of bigger, better and more. Strangely enough, I wrote about this very subject almost 4 years ago when I began blogging and not much has changed except for one small fact.
As much as I have a love-hate relationship with technology, I admit that I would not be able to have run my business successfully without modern technology and for this I am extremely grateful. But more than that, the internet has connected us all as a global family and when something is going to hurt one’s family, usually there is an uprising and the strong fight to protect the weak amongst us, and this is what I feel this virus will bring.
Because information and news can spread faster than a pigeon flying with a note attached to his neck, or a man can ride on horse-back to deliver important news to communities afar, the internet has allowed us to take action quicker and connect faster. It has also brought us closer and my observation is that in just a few short weeks, we have banded together to support one another and take care of our global family.
No-one is excluded from being affected by this spread in some way and just as the virus is not a respecter of race, culture, religion or creed, the incredible human spirit is not the exclusivity of any tribe or nation. It’s time for a reset and a recalibration and regardless of how you feel about this statement, you will have to accept it or suffer in resistance of it.
Locally I have seen people of all ages and means offer their help, support their communities and provide services for free or reduced costs.
Globally, I have noticed people from all walks of life step up to help and physically get involved in an attempt to flatten the curve to end the spread.
“Being ok with whatever shows up” has always been my motto and declaration for the way I like to live my life and this time is no different. That does not mean that I will sit back and wait this out, without doing what I can to help.
So for the next 21 days I will be online with FB live, to talk, coach and meditate with you and anyone else that would like to be present online so that we can hold space for each other in a supportive and loving way.
This is bigger than all of us which means we have to be big enough to stand together and create a future for ourselves and our children that we can be proud of. What kind of role model will you be for your family and friends? What example will you be for your colleagues and communities? How will you navigate the next 21 days or more?
My son and his wife are doctors and specialists and two things that they shared with me made a massive impact on me. One was the statement:
“Rather a lock-down now than a complete shut-down later”
The other was the answer to the question “what is a safe space to keep between myself and others?” and the answer came in the form of another question”
“Well what is amount of space you’ll need for your dead relative
to lie on the ground between you?”
Harsh and real! Necessary and vital to hear at this time.
Being calm and spreading good news will become extremely important over this time and in the future.
I encourage you to be a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem.
I implore you to be a vision builder for the future rather than blaming anyone or anything from the past.
I ask you to speak words of encouragement rather than be prophets of doom.
I beg you to follow the guidance of your leaders and stay at home rather than try to find ways and means of resisting the rules.
For now. Because it matters. Because we are all one.
All my love
Sharon
