A better normal

A sunset for one person is a sunrise for another in a different part of the globe. It’s not the position of the sun that makes the difference, but our position on the globe. Perspective and perception are everything. 

I believe that our minds will keep pulling us into darker places where all we see will be sunsets. This is why I recommend that we use this opportunity to take care of our own physical and mental health first. Let's switch off the social media, pick up a book, connect with someone from your past you lost touch with, learn to cook a meal, or take up a new hobby. 

Let's also use this time to reconnect with the power of gratitude and perspective. Look around to get a perspective on how blessed we are, and see if we can reach out to help someone less fortunate. It could be by getting groceries for an elderly couple next door, or paying your gardener even if they don't show up for a week or asking your nurse friend if she could use an extra N95 mask you may have. It's harrowing to be a medical professional today. I read about a doctor moving into his own garage to protect their newborn as he goes to work to fight the virus on the frontlines. Struggles are everywhere, some are just more noble than others.

Let's slowdown a little and be present to deal with the present, good or bad. Let's not let our minds take us away to the future, for it will seldom take us towards the sunrises. Let's be present to experience sunset or sunrise for what they are.

Yes, going through this dark tunnel may feel hopeless, but when the bend hits and light comes, it will be worth the wait.

The stakes are high, but with focus, togetherness, and determination we will see this one through. Life will become normal again, soon. 

My hope for the world is that it will be a new normal, a better normal. A normal where we will become less selfish, and more compassionate. Less focused on what divides us and more focused on what unites us.