A lockdown for bodies, but minds still wandering…
And this distance between mind and body — it’s turning the inevitable pain into self-made suffering.
But that’s the downside!!
Let’s talk about the upside… the positives through this period.
Let’s try to experience these happy realizations:
1. Death connecting us to life
People are dying everywhere.
It provokes fear of death now and then at every heart, no different you and me.
But amidst all these did you realize:
We literally experienced our biggest fear Death sitting at home?
Gracious we are alive!
Is there a bigger blessing? I don’t think so.
Let’s celebrate life with a toast to breath as the biggest reason to smile.
2. Higher sensitivity towards poverty and hunger
It’s not only about this lockdown when the poor are dying of hunger.
Earlier, most of us could only sympathize. We could not take that one step further — to think about doing something for them.
Why? Either shortage of time or our own lives in a turmoil.
Now as we standstill, there are more volunteers to think about the poor.
This lockdown has taken our sympathies to another level. And that’s wonderful!
3. Turning faces towards the real mirror — Self-awareness
We are denied worldly experiences ongoing lockdown.
But this phase made us dig deep within to feel ourselves.
The deeper we touch, the darker it feels!!
But do you know the sunnier part?
At least we are facing the real mirror!
We are meeting ourselves everyday.
We are knowing ourselves more!
No matter beautiful or ugly reflects our face in the real mirror of self-awareness, we are experiencing the taste of our company.
It is leading to self-acceptance — the foundation of self-love!
4. Inculcating a new interest
Earlier we never got this length of me-time.
With a lockdown of direct connections with the outside world, the sharpness of the mind has less to dissect.
Maybe it’s time for the soul to reach a deeper dimension without self-judgments.
Picking up that half-read old book from the shelf,
Tuning-in the chords of the broken guitar,
Scribbling emotions in our personal diary,
Pursuing the hobby left out of responsibility,
Learning different meditation or yoga practices,
Let it be anything that pulls our interest!
Who knows, we discover an artist within who flares the life-spark rest of our lives.
5. Connection with smiling nature after decades
Neither money is having the last laugh nor the people. It’s nature smiling!
We must feel happy for them.
After all this damage, it resurrected!
The air turned cleaner; the tress became greener; the water got purer.
Guess what? The renewed nature is blessing us with a healthy life!
Do we really need anything else?
I feel nothing can draw our interest more than getting richer with nature’s wealth.
Let’s celebrate nature, preserve the wealth it’s bestowing!
6. Our battle is always in the inside
We have been our comparing lives with people, competing against them.
Conveniently we have been blaming them for all the wrong happening with us.
But about this time, we are not against outside; we are exploring the truth:
We have been battling against our illusions. And it is always about the inside!
We are meeting our inner critic… the real audience.
And it’s an original ball game altogether.
No doubt the battle has got tougher but let’s feel happy it’s for real!
7. Consciousness about the hygiene
Just by following the sanitization protocols, we are careful about our hygiene.
During this, not only I learned how to wash my hands but also sanitized my cellphone for the first time.
Now it’s a routine!
Another example is my impulsive reaction to my sneezes. Earlier it was a palm out.
It has still not been replaced by a handkerchief, but at least I try to expel those respiratory droplets above my shoulder now.
And I’m sure it’s not only about me, but most of us fall on the same side.
8. A feeling of surplus in limitations
We realize the value of basics — food, water, and shelter.
Yes, several individuals are denied that.
And by acknowledging this, we are learning to silently count our blessings.
Before lockdown, the little things in life seemed obvious; we took them for granted.
But now, a-little seems bigger than the big.
More than dependencies to luxuries, we are valuing essentials for survival.
Restrictions are teaching us saving lessons that abundance could never teach.
9. Growing respect for luxuries
The T. V, Fridge, A. C, Phone, Internet, Battery, Microwave, Water purifier, Feeding bottle, Washing machine — we never mentioned them in our luxury checklist.
Unnoticed and ignored they were. We knew we could repair or replace them anytime.
About now… the scarcity outside makes us realize the value of existing luxuries we have.
And anything additional at this time feels special!
10. Body is recovering
Our body who took a lot of wear and tear before this is finally at rest.
When it’s at rest, whether we realize it, the body is automatically recovering.
There is an unconscious healing process going on within our bodies.
The place where we live in — the body… it’s transforming into a healthier dwelling!
Let’s feel that consciously to become the chief architect of our permanent residence.
11. Reviving the family bonds
This is the first time, maybe the last time, we got this opportunity to spend enough time with our family.
The emotional connect is getting stronger!
We are taking care of each other, sharing responsibilities.
Our family is yet again proving to be the biggest strength… the king of bad times!
Let us feel this deep association consciously.
12. Tuning-in with solitude
Not only with family, but this is also the first time we are spending so much time with ourselves.
Irrespective of whether we enjoy our company, our loneliness this time does not have a choice.
No matter how vulnerable we feel, we cannot escape, we cannot meet new people.
The gradual acceptance of this allows us to connect deeper with our souls.
Willingly or not, we are enriching our bonds with ourselves.
Must read: How to convert loneliness into solitude?
13. Happiness is a natural state
Unlike before, neither people nor situations maneuver our happiness.
It’s a standstill which is speaking out the salient truth — Happiness is a natural state independent of outside world.
Yes, we had been subjecting our happiness to desires, goals, purpose, success, and so many external things.
In fact we had gone too far to label excitement as happiness.
But during this time when materialistic desires are locked down, we realize happiness is nowhere outside.
14. Social environment losing shape
I feel our lives had become a walk in the jungle with an active evolution of the social environment for some years now.
People were really struggling to manage all three — personal, professional, and social spheres.
It was complete chaos.
What do we hear now?
Social-distancing — we have to remember this world for a very long time. And that’s not a bad thing at all!
Post lockdown, we’ll be able to dedicate more time to the essentials — personal and professional sphere.
It would lead to a balanced life!
15. Feeling compassion towards everyone
It’s not your or my story today. The virus didn’t distinguish between the rich and poor.
We are breathing on the same ventilator!
We are fearing and fighting our death together.
Isn’t it a beautiful sign in this global pandemic?
We could step into each other’s shoes to experience what it takes to be on the other side.
We learn to stand in solidarity. And that’s wonderful!
16. Learning the art of Let go
The inevitable pain — it’s nothing new.
Pain is elementary to our lives for ages.
But this time is different where when we consciously experienced it.
We grieved to losses, sympathized with the unfortunate, felt lost to the uncertainties.
We literally took them all!
What’s the upside?
We learned a lesson: When we cannot do anything about an unfavorable situation, we must allow that time to pass without engaging with it.
Feeling pain consciously is slowly teaching the art of letting go.
17. Turning controller of own lives
Prior to lockdown, it was the routine that made us run unconscious, like crazy.
A boring monotony defined our life.
About now, we became the controller of our lives, the dictator of our responses.
This is a long break allowing us to shift gears consciously in the direction we want to accelerate.
Let draw our road map consciously.
It’s the phase we learn to manage time and to invest our energies productively.
18. Syncing with the moment
The past is gone, the future is uncertain, what’s ours is the present moment.
You might know this too!
But do you realize this lockdown made us experience it?
Earlier our present was lying somewhere between the past and the future.
But about this time, what’s happening with us in the present has no connections to past or future.
Yes it has made us wonder:
Was it always about the present?
Must read: Why feel the present moment when it is hostile?
19. We are the tiniest pinch of salt in an extensive buffet
May the rich or the powerful, anyone who thought can conquer the world is locked down.
Self-boast… pride… conceit — all diminishing.
This helplessness is a tight slap on our face as we went too far to express our future station.
But this time, it has crushed our ego as the human race realizes we are mosquitos to the cosmos.
We stand on the same page, learning acceptance to the fact that situations are never under our control, how we always thought to be.
This acceptance of defeat is our victory!
20. Complaining less and appreciating more
Ironical… when we had access to everything, we had a lot of complaints.
And in this deprival, we feel content like never.
The heart that ached because of people has now many soft corners for them.
The doctors, nurses, policemen, grocery dealers, chemists, drivers, security guards, vegetable vendors, delivery boys, NGO’s — we applaud them all.
These samaritans are true heroes everywhere who are devotedly working for mankind.
We are learning honest appreciation!
Final Realizations:
This is the first time we got this opportunity to listen to our hearts and do whatever we feel. Let us cherish it than to crib about it!
Possibly the size of our locked-down experiences is small, but the lesson from it is larger than life itself.
Yes my friend… if we can surpass this gracefully, we’ll have enough strength to sail with the present’s future.
Remember the future is always the same — uncertain.
But through the binoculars of this pandemic, it looks like a suspense thriller.
Enjoy your movie… good luck!
P.S.: Once the lockdown ends, either we turn responsible beings… or maybe real monsters…who knows!! Whatever the case be, let that curiosity be the most exciting element about your life journey.
