The Potential of Pandemic
This global pandemic has potential.
Dark and uncharted territory, we face many novel challenges. For most, our daily lives have been uprooted. Our future is unknown. There is a sense of unease in the air.
Fear is a potent force. It can bring out our unruly, darker reactivity. Across the globe, there have been stories of dread, discrimination, anger, and greed.
But these are not our only choices for responding to fear. It is okay to be scared. It’s in our nature. We are all feeling it, in our own ways. But we don’t have to be driven further apart by it. Rather, we can choose to accept this collectively.
There is potential for it to bring us closer together.
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If a virus were conscious, it would be delighted by our divisiveness.
Its targets overwhelmed by fear and more likely to make crucial mistakes. Divided, fumbling and spreading themselves thin. Forgetting the power of connectedness, many opting solely for self-preservation. Immune systems weakening with panic, stress levels leaving them more vulnerable. Greedy actions. Leaving others less capable of defending themselves.
The conditions are ripe for spread and survival. It’s a good day to be a virus!
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This is not “my” problem. Nor is it “your” problem. It’s not even “my family’s” problem, or “your country’s” problem. It’s our problem. The virus does not discriminate. We cannot fend it off selfishly. We’d be silly to do so.
Acting in representation of the greater good is not only the best way to combat the spread of the virus, it can also be the silver lining of our dilemma. We can start to think more considerately of our neighbors. To start noticing how our actions affect others and choosing to come from a place of care for common humanity, rather than strictly self-reliance. Here are some examples of how our thinking and actions can reflect this shift to collectivism:
Your health: Its no longer just about you. Our own suffering may now include those who we could pass it on to. So, take good care of your body and mind to bolster our immune system. Eat a well-balanced diet, exercise regularly (make your home a gym), make sure to get enough sleep, and limit drinking and smoking habits. Taking good care of yourself. Takes good care of others.
Consider the consequences of greed in the supermarkets. Buy only what you need. If we all aim for excess, than many will be without the bare necessities. Practice minimalism. Only take what you really need. What you can leave behind to share with others will make these hard times more manageable for them.
Recognize that limiting our movement moves others further from harm. Yes, we want to be with our families, and protect those closest to us. But who do we put at risk by traveling to them?
People will respond to the fear of this crisis in some unpleasant ways. You might too. I know I have. Try and respond to others, and yourselves, with understanding and compassion. You cannot right negativity with more negativity. Lets be easy on ourselves and others. We are imperfect, and we’ve never done this before.
The truth is, we are all along for this ride. Lets make of the most of it, make use of the opportunity we’ve been presented. Lets use our circumstances to form more compassionate, cooperative ways of thinking. In that way, this pandemic, rather than cementing our systems of self-reliance, can help us grow closer together as a planet.