When we don’t do what we should be doing, we are sometimes forced to do it by nature.

This Pandemic has shaken the world to do the same for us.

The nature reclaimed its space and authority by shutting everything out through the initial phases of the pandemic. Enforcement of lockdown led to an eerie silence, never heard or seen before by people of this century.

I had been going daily, being part of the essential services to deliver news when the rest of the world was locked into their homes.

What is the message being relayed across?

Look Inside

The most powerful message is to peep inside. Human race has been so consumed by materialism in today’s world that a majority of people have lost touch with their inner selves. People have been running from pillar to post not having the time to pause and reflect on the quality and direction of their personal lives.

How often have you bothered about doing what nourishes your soul? Something that you have struggled to find time for, in the maddening race of life. The race was halted for a while when we all were in a lockdown, though we are now heading back to square one, sooner or later. The more you are in sync with your inner self, your desires and your purpose, the happier you are.

Be With Your Loved Ones

The pandemic confined us all in the four walls of our home to be with our loved ones. Most of us were stretching too far between the demands of a career and home. Home is where the heart is.

We did not have enough time to indulge with our kids and parents. To talk and listen them out. The pandemic did just what was needed to know each other better. We might claim to know our loved ones well, but everyone is evolving in their own way. A gardener only knows how a sapling is growing as he daily inspects his garden. Majority of working parents have been too busy to tend and reap the harvest from their gardens. They were watching them grow while running their daily race.

Space for appreciating each other’s talents and spending quality time with family during the lockdown was a delight for many, bringing bursts of joy and love for each other.

Reinvention

With the economic uncertainty having wiped out millions of jobs in India and across the world, it led hundreds of people on the path of reinvention. Many were forced by circumstances into it, others felt the need to jump on to the platform of reinvention to move ahead. Some sensed an opportunity to move to greener pastures.

Futility of Materialism

This is the biggest take away from this global shake up. You can live with the basic things if the need be, the rest are all the trappings of a materialistic world.  All the fancy tidings, clothing, shopping, partying and a host of other activities do not make us complete. We won’t have survived a series of lockdowns if this was not the case. All things that we care so much about like beauty care, shopping for clothing, accessories, having sumptuous food and socialising have a limited meaning in our life. These have become an integral part of our lives but these do not determine life, is the powerful message from the pandemic.

You Can Do Everything From A to Z

A major lesson that the pandemic revealed to all of us is that we are equipped to do everything on our own. Majority of people who have had the facility of household helps and maids were forced to do all the household chores. With men also being at home, it was once in a lifetime opportunity for most men to chip in the household work, which is often delegated to women and helpers in India and several Asian countries. From sweeping, mopping, cleaning toilets to cooking and washing dishes, we can survive without helpers/maids. I think this would have made most men realise the importance of household work, deemed menial often. The pandemic meant a work overload for sure, making everyone uneasy but some lessons are taught tough.

Respect Nature

Few weeks into the pandemic, and nature healed itself in glory not seen in this century before. The waters in all rivers and lakes becoming clean. The beaches looked spruced up. The birds reclaimed their space as the air got so much cleaner and healthier to breathe. The air quality index never looked so better. If the majority of us stop harming, polluting and degrading water bodies, air and land, earth would be a beautiful place to live for each one of us. It is time we realise we don’t own this earth, we are co-inhabitants with other species who are becoming extinct due to human invasion on each and every natural resource.   

Pull Your Defenses

 ‘The weak fall prey while the strong survive the onslaught’.

This virus has underlined the importance of taking care of one’s health like never before. Covid-19 has claimed more than a million lives across the world. Those falling prey to death are those with weaker immunity and comorbidities in most cases. Those with stronger immunity are mostly asymptomatic or are recovering from illness with good care.

The best shield against fighting the pandemic is uplifting one’s physical and mental health. A lot of people have been callous about taking care of their health which is a recipe for inviting and falling prey to increasing number of infections. Eating well and exercising well is not just good for the physical body but very satisfying for the brain too as the feel-good hormones, endorphins get released. When you know you are doing all to take care of your health, the mental health and stress response improves which acts as a protection shield at a psychological level.

The pandemic may be over in some months or years but there is always a threat of it rebounding. It is suspected that the virus will never be wiped out completely even if we have a vaccine in near future. It will stay with the human race and its high time we ponder over and introspect where have we gone wrong to put up a better defence and a safer future for next generation.