In the midst of strange times, we can maintain and even enrich our relation to each other
The other day, during a virtual gathering, we were discussing the challenges of staying connected in these strange times. My friend Jody exclaimed, “We may be living in strange times, but we are not strangers!” So poignant and a good reminder of the importance of maintaining if not enriching our connections with loved ones and people around the globe. Another common utterance I hear often these days is, “I want things to go back to normal.” As hard as it may be to accept, that’s not likely to happen. We’re in the midst of a hard reset. Change is challenging for many people in regular circumstances. In a situation like this, change can truly be a struggle. The ongoing changes in our lives and the world are made even more daunting because no one really knows when the current situation will end, what’s going to happen when it does and how life will look on the other side.
There’s more to the story, however. What’s taking place in the world is an important catalyst for significant change, both for the planet and its inhabitants. We are being asked to re-evaluate our lives, our perspectives, and our choices. Additionally, mother earth is receiving a much-needed respite from the overabundance of human activity.
The scope of change taking place globally isn’t so different from individual change.
When you think about it, transformation in people’s lives often comes on the heels of some sort of life altering, frequently traumatic event. Things like accidents, disasters, abuse, transition, recovery, loss, illness, and so on. Being launched into a new way of life happens to people all the time. It’s just that right now it’s happening globally, to everyone all at once.
As hard as it is—and it’s really hard in many ways for lots of people—we are in a period of transformation. The potential for and promise of new growth and rebirth is palpable. If we embrace that promise, we will come out of this temporary period of heightened vigilance with new perspectives, renewed energy, as well as personal and global alterations, enhancing the quality of our lives along with the planet.
While there’s lots of discussion about crisis and disaster, it’s much more crucial that we focus on how we choose to influence the outcome and how we decide to respond individually, within ourselves and toward others. Change and growth are constant…we’re evolving!
As we settle into new ways of living and working, we must also create new ways of loving and connecting. Relating—to ourselves, one another and the planet—is the lifeblood of our existence. While the ways we connect are shifting, they’re not going away; they mustn’t go away.
We are necessary to one another, for surviving and thriving. So, seek out and create new ways of connecting to and embracing—yourself, one another, and the world.