Note for readers
The birth of this article is directly associated with the events that have been transpiring around the globe since the beginning of 2020 – a year that marks the onset of a new decade and the end of an old one.
With the world changing in its tapestry through all forms of its creation, be it environmentally, technologically, politically, socially, economically and now as we are witnessing with the whole equation of human survival having brought into the question from an arousal of a pandemic, which is spreading its roots through the linkages of our human world in the form of corona virus.
This pandemic has caused for the brimming of a storm, which has led for thousands around the world to be infected by a deadly virus that has brought the entire world to a mere halt.
Our fragile economies are collapsing along with the overburdened health care systems, which were not prepared to handle a pandemic of such a scale that is spreading exponentially and has forced countries around the globe to take drastic measures such as locking down their entire populace to contain the spread of this virus, for which we currently have no vaccine.
With governments advocating for social distancing and isolation among their citizens to lessen the load on health care facilities, which aren’t suited to handle such a growing number of sick people who are hurriedly being affected by the virus, this has now become one of the gravest challenges faced by humanity as a whole in the 21st century.
People are forced into staying indoors by themselves with lockdowns being enforced in countries around the globe as that seems to be a consequential step in breaking the chain of this contagiously spreading virus.
A crucial element of what has risen through this time is how people are going to survive with themselves in isolation for so long?
I have written this article specifically for these times. Although the words in it may resonate for long after all of this is over.
We are going to go through the aspects of what humans can do in these isolating times, where they will be forced to confront their inner devils from being surmounted by their own presence without many distractions to occupy their busy minds.
1. Need based living
We live in a world driven by endless desires and wants, so much so that we have forgotten what need based living even looks like.
These are times when economies have come to a halt and we have to spend immense amounts of time within the four walls of our concrete jungles.
We need to ask ourselves – ‘what do we really need to survive?’
The three basics of what we certainly need are food, water and shelter among other essential commodities. So, lets make sure we have the basics secured for us during these times of isolation, but not in a manner where we are panic buying while disregarding the needs of other people.
We have to be aware in ourselves to buy just enough for our survival while keeping in mind the survival of other people, especially the ones less privileged and vulnerable than ourselves, who will be facing more difficulties than us.
These are times for humanity to come together.
We need to think of ourselves but also of other people.
Only then can we get through these times in a solid manner.
2. Physical, Mental and Spiritual Well being
Once our basic needs are secured we then need to create a set routine for ourselves where we prioritize the well-being of our physicality, mentality and spirituality.
This is a time where nature is forcing us to retreat and isolate ourselves, not giving us much choice but to reflect on what humanity has done over the years.
Our disregard for our planet, other species and even ourselves has been prevalent in our ways of operating through a destructive means of functioning. This is a great opportunity for us to reflect on all of what we have done collectively to see how our destructive ways of being have caused for a havoc in the natural world.
The change in the external world stems from the internal one.
By levitating in our daily practices such as yoga, meditation and pranayama we can strengthen the three pillars of – body, mind and spirit.
The practices we do shouldn’t have to be restricted to just yoga, meditation or pranayama. They can be anything pertaining to an individual’s preference, but in totality of it, they need to focus on complete wellbeing of an individual’s actuality.
Strengthening just one pillar of our being isn’t enough. We need to strengthen all of them to not only boost our immune system but to also reinvigorate our whole system while training it to be stronger than ever before.
Our strength comes from our health – mental, physical and spiritual.
We need to prioritize our health more than anything else so that we are strengthened in ourselves while dealing with the many challenges of todays external world.
3. Time to create
With retreating emerges the possibility of creating.
Many of you are now working from home, which means you are saving time on your commute, social gatherings, among other things that earlier used to preoccupy your time and energy.
With all this time and unused energy, your mind will crave for a distraction. This is when you can harness this energy of yours into start creating something.
It can literally be anything.
Writing, painting, cooking, coding, designing, etc. Anything that can be done inside a home using tools or technology to create something. Do it!
This is the time to do it.
Work on that idea or an imagination you have always wanted to work on.
Get on with it.
World is telling you to do it.
Get immersed in a craft that speaks to you.
Let it take over you.
It will show you the way.
It will guide you through these times of darkness.
To shimmer hope and meaning into your every day.
4. Practice gratitude
While we sit at home, many such as doctors, nurses, armed forces, retail and grocery workers, farmers, cleaners etc. are out there doing their jobs and duties to prevent a disaster from happening.
We owe so much to them.
We need to be grateful for each and every individual who is working for the benefit of other people. Being selfless is the greatest of virtues humanity can experience through them and having gratitude for the ones who are selflessly serving us is what we ought to practice.
This is a great time in our recent history, where we can understand the fact that this world runs only when people help and support one another.
We are truly dependent on one another and this planet for our wellbeing. We need to learn to have gratitude for all that is working in our favor.
Without the spirit of ‘WE’ the ‘I’ cannot survive.
We are one.
And all is one.
Its essential we dedicate some time in our every day to be grateful for all of that’s there in our lives while many are suffering and going through so much pain to provide us with the luxury of being able to stay indoors and for us to be capable of enacting on our daily agendas.
5. Time to Learn
Learning has no end to it and moments such as these brim for the eventuality for us to immerse ourselves in the acts of learning.
Reading books and learning new skills online are just few of the many steps we can take towards building a better self.
The more time you invest in yourself the more you will gain from it in the long run.
So, instead of spending time on acts that bring down your intellect or doesn’t satisfy your minds zeal to learn, you can devote few hours of your everyday into learning something new that is thoroughly substantial for your mind to grasp.
Our understanding of the world is as limited as we are.
We only see a tiny drop out of the entire ocean and we think we know it all.
While the fact remains we barely know anything.
Let our approach towards life be as that of a curious child, where every day we welcome what comes from a place of not knowing. Only then can we truly learn as much as possible.
Learning doesn’t come from knowing something. It only comes from not knowing anything.
Be curious. Be childlike.
Start learning.
6. Start praying
Something much bigger than all of us connects us on a deeper realm of existence. We refer to this connection by varying names and labels.
The names and labels of this connection doesn’t matter so much as the reality that this connection exists and it bind us all in a mystical phenomenon.
If we can take out few minutes in our every day to pray, not to a particular god or a symbol but simply to this deep connection that links all of us on a universal scale, we can cause for the evolution of our spirits into acting as a sole unified entity that wants to do and be good in its lifetime.
We can only get through something if we are in it together.
These are the times that call for our unity more than anything else.
Lets pray and ground ourselves to uplift our own cause and spirits so that we can get through these challenging times together.