“Oh, wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is!
O brave new world that has such people in it!”
— William Shakespeare
Today, we all have a new canvas on which to draw and create our new “normal”. Let us take our time and breathe deeply as we pick up the brushes and start to paint! Are we happy in our “brave new world”? If not, it is not too late to change things.
We must ask ourselves are we happy with the world that we have created for our children? We must become very mindful of the legacy that we are leaving behind. A world where masks, gloves, social distancing, two-metre distance; handsanitisers, social isolation, lockdown and the virus of fear and suspicion become “normal”. Is this truly what we want? We are social beings, when we experience isolation and loneliness we do not fare well. Let us not forget that we are all connected.
These past few months must surely have given people time to reflect on what was, is, and will be… the new “normal”. Actually, it begs the question: How much was the past really “normal” at all?
Nature has had to step in and asked us to take a good look at ourselves. If we see it as an opportunity to rethink what is really important in life, then we will see it as a good thing. If we just want to get back to our old routines, not established by us in any thoughtful way really, then we will be meeting a lot of resistance to the new “normal” simply because the old way of life has been radically altered.
Our waters were getting polluted, our skies were getting blacker and smog-filled, our society was becoming senseless and corrupt, our values were becoming empty and depleted. Now we have realised how precious life is, how lovely it feels to go out freely; to go to work; to chat to our neighbour and friends; to ‘see’ and interact with people; and to “be” of purpose; to have a meaningful life; and to “be” of service to others… Now that we have rested the body from its fatigue… Now that we have slowed down… Now we can think clearly and plan out the next steps… What are we going to do?
As we start to return to what we were doing, let us take our time to think about how we wish to proceed in our new “normal” world. These are some thoughts to consider and to help us as we face our “brave new world”.
Breathe deeply
Make mindful choices
Show compassion to those around us
Choose purposeful living
Engage more consciously
Save up for that rainy day
Shape our attitude
Show our gratitude
Live from the heart
Pray and meditate more
Hope more
Love more
“Be” more
Let us choose what our “brave new world” will look like. We must be co-creators in this future because we are going to have to live there… whether we like it or not… So, let us create a world of resonance, not dissonance. Yes, technology has helped us during this time, but Facetime, Facebook, Zoom or whatever else are no substitute for human contact and connection.
It’s time to create a world of love, compassion and connection. Let us work together to make that the new normal.
Courtesy of itstimetomeditate.org Aruna Ladva, author of several books on self-development, is also a Rajyoga meditation teacher who has taught this ancient art of meditation in many countries.