#RandomThoughts During this #LifeIntheTimeofCorona

When Seneca was exiled, he wanted to give up, but he didn’t. He wrote. He prepared for the opportunity that would eventually come. When Musonius Rufus was exiled, he did the same. He kept himself busy not just with writing, but by discovering a natural spring on the island he was trapped on, one that provided for inhabitants who had long been without fresh water. When Epictetus was born into slavery, he endured it for thirty years until his freedom finally came. When the plague fell upon Rome during Marcus’s reign, he found a way to create and keep a new normal, for all fifteen years of it.

In each case, these Stoics were in a kind of hell. But you know what they did? They did what you’re supposed to do when you find yourself going through hell: They kept going.

Which is what we have to do today, through this pandemic and all that life throws at us. We have to keep going. We have to find a new normal. We have to find things to focus on. We have to find ways to do good for others. We have to keep busy. We can also follow this help list of rules from Austin Kleon (who has a wonderful book by the same title):

1. Every day is Groundhog Day.
2. Build a bliss station.
3. Forget the noun, do the verb.
4. Make gifts.
5. The ordinary + extra attention = the extraordinary
6. Slay the art monsters.
7. You’re allowed to change your mind.
8. When in doubt, tidy up.
9. Demons hate fresh air.
10. Plant your garden.

Most of all, we have to follow Churchill’s advice to KBO: Keep buggering on. Just keep going. You’ll get through this.This is a good prism shift...

 

Amongst all the fear and confusion, there’s this ... a different perspective

 

There is so much fear, and perhaps rightfully so, about COVID-19

 

_And what if..._

 

If we subscribe to the philosophy that life is always working out for us, that there is an intelligence far greater than humans at work...

 

That all is interconnected 

 

_What if..._ The virus is here to help?

 

To reset ...

To reflect ...

To remember

 

What is truly important?

 

Reconnecting with family and community

 

Reducing travel so that the environment, the skies, the air, our lungs all have an opportunity to recover

 

Parts of China are seeing blue skies and clouds for the first time in forever with the factories being shut down

 

Working from home rather than commuting to work (less pollution, more personal time)

 

Reconnecting with family as there is more time

 

An invitation to turn inwards -- a deep meditation -- rather than the usual extroverted going out to self-soothe

 

To reconnect with self -- what is really important to?

 

A reset economically

 

How hard does one need to work to be able to live, to have a life outside of work?

 

And, washing our hands -- how did that become a "new" thing that we needed to remember. But, yes, we did. And were forced to.

 

There is a shift underway in society -- _what if_ it is one that is favorable for us?

 

_What if_ this virus is an ally in our development as humans?

 

In our remembrance of what it means to be connected, humane, living a simpler life, to be less impactful / more kind to our environment.

 

To reconnect with God on a level we never knew existed

 

It is time for change, we all knew that

 

At last. We can be at peace with ourselves

 

We can reconnect with family

 

We can start a conversation

 

We realize how fragile we are and how dependent we are on our Creator

 

The audit of life  complete, a new path awaits

 

_What if ...._