Redefining Ourselves In a World of Change

We have all found ourselves grappling in some way with the changes that the coronavirus has created in our personal lives, as well as the huge impact it has had on the economy and people’s job security worldwide.

In our personal lives, suddenly being in lockdown with family or even alone has, in a way, made us stop for the first time in a long time and honestly face ourselves and our relationships. Many people have needed to adapt or find new ways to still have some kind of income to continue supporting themselves and their families.

I know that for me, normally, it’s easy to avoid difficult situations and feelings by getting out and staying busy, either with work or socializing and sport. During lockdown we haven’t been able to get our usual time away from stressful situations. We have had to create new methods of coping and being okay. I now find myself choosing to stay at home where possible, avoiding the outside distractions and doing my bit to reduce the possible spread of Covid-19.

I have sat down and done some writing that I have put off for years, I have played more piano than normal and created more artwork. I have also read more and yes, I have had days of binge watching Netflix.

We have all felt the effects physically and mentally of not being able to do our usual exercise routines. The flip side of course is that it has created a challenge to do it differently. Many people have taken the opportunity to connect and create online spaces to exercise together, do yoga, meditate and even have fun with dance challenges in their own living room.

I’ve had great fun creating a playlist for dancing. It’s been amazing! I have had such fun doing this alone and not being distracted or influenced by anyone else and what they are doing.

So if you have managed to face the challenge and get creative, you’ve likely found new exercises that you enjoy and have felt the convenience of not having to travel to and from gym classes.  You may even have quit that gym membership and saved some money!

Families have had to connect and get to know each other again. I hope that many people have made this a time for connection - cooking together, sharing meals and playing games. Parents have had time to spend with their children without being distracted by work. Many have also had the challenge of teaching their children. For me this was an enormous challenge, very tiring but also such a joyful experience. All those moments of watching how your children approach learning and growing that we miss and only the teachers get to see so closely, giving us feedback a couple of times a year. New respect for our teachers, that is for sure!

We also realize how important connection to our friends and extended family is. Perhaps even how we may have taken for granted the people that mean the most to us. This is a time more than ever that we can be grateful for social media and the ability to stay connected in this way. Some people are not that lucky and there has been a lot of loneliness and depression challenging many people.

Friends that are true friends are the ones who will have made the effort to connect. I have been surprised with unexpected renewed connections and also disappointed that some people, who I considered close friends, just did not make the effort. All this time for me has been good for reflecting on who and what is important to me. Who and what I want to spend time on and the things that I can happily stop wasting my time doing. It’s a time to clear out the old emotional and physical baggage and begin a new way of living, more aligned with what truly matters to us. I hope that many people have spent time in reflection and have a stronger sense of self with some new dreams and ambitions in order to lead a more fulfilling and meaningful life going forward.

Not all businesses have been able to go online or keep going as we have witnessed. Many have had to shut down and will not be able to reopen, having a devastating impact on peoples’ lives.

It has been heart-warming for me to have seen so much community support in our cities and towns. People coming together to help those in need - such a gift. To be able to give to others knowing that we are all in this together no matter our race, culture or economic status.

Nobody is immune to the impact of this virus physically or socially. Our bodies haven’t got immunity. We cannot stay separated from the impact it has on the world. It is out of our control. We have had to surrender and give up resisting our need for control. We are all in this together.

While humans have suffered, our environment has flourished. The animals have come out into the open not needing to hide anymore. Our oceans, the land and the air are less polluted and all that is a gift to us. It’s a gift that we can now choose to live with more respect for our environment. The planet has been given a break from the devastation that humans create, and my wish is that people recognize this and choose to take more care and live with more respect for our environment.

Challenging times often give rise to great opportunities. The world is now a different place. We are all faced with change and without any idea of when or how it is going to come back to a sense of “normality”. The only thing we can be in control of is making sure that right now we choose action that creates a more meaningful life for ourselves, for others and for the rest of the world to which we are all inextricably connected.

Take care, Love Margie