Lessons from Life in Lockdown

“The past is passed, the present is paused and the future will be well played.” 
― Srinivas Mishra

The world changed in March of 2020. We’ll be able to tell coming generations of this season we’re living through. We will speak of the pain and of the harm. And we will talk of the wisdom and honour that this time has delivered to us. Most important we will talk about lockdown.

I’ve been reflecting on the good that we may find as we stay inside, shelter-in-place and experience more stillness.

And so…

…I’d like to offer you some of the benefits of lockdown [while society focuses on so much negativity]…

#1. All real healing, transformation and evolution happens—not out in the world—but deep in the wilderness—of silence, solitude and stillness.

#2. Being forced to stay in one place for a long time also provides the rare opportunity to be incredibly creative.

#3. Times of discomfort are periods of elite growth. We don’t expand so much when everything’s fabulous.

#4. Because of the virus, many families have become much closer. People who needed to forgive have forgiven. Broken fences have been mended. Meals together are a thing again. [My own cooking skills have sharpened].

#5. We take less for granted now. Fresh vegetables. Walking in a park. Going to a restaurant. Flying on an aeroplane. Hitting the gym. These things seem special again.

#6. The pandemic has forced us all to slow down. This gives us a great chance to get to know ourselves better. Our gifts and talents. Our fears and wounds. And as we use this period to build higher selves, we remake tragedy into triumph.

#7. In the lockdown, many have realised that all of the things that were purchased to look good on the street have zero worth—when no one’s on the street. This stings, a lot, but if you were flashy you have no one to show off too.

#8. People are reading books again during lockdown. Classics and modern treasures. Poetry and biographies. And so we become enriched. Versus busy being busy. And being cyber zombies.

#9. Suffering has opened many a human heart in this new world. Neighbours are helping each other. Strangers are smiling at one another. The hardness that many of us used to protect our good hearts is eroding. Slowly. But certainly.

#10. We are seeing Mother Nature breathing again. Without the planes flying and the factories operating and the ships sailing, the skies and lands and oceans are returning to more of their native glory. This is a sacred gain.

#11. Many are using lockdown as a lab: to learn new skills and build new acumen so that when everything opens up again, they are massively more valuable to the marketplace. And therefore they attract greater rewards for themselves, while they scale their impact.

#12. Most of us are becoming more resourceful. Wasting less. Caring more. Making do with what we have. And feeling ever so grateful.

#13. It’s a time of spiritual opening. When things fall apart, human beings are granted the opportunity to become born anew. Part of us dies so a more creative, brave, generous and useful us can show up. We let go of what we were to become all that we must be. And this is a blessing. Not a curse.

We very much hope these lessons remind you of the good in the bad. And help you assert your greatness while so many around us stand flat-footed in the face of terrific fear.

We feel extremely honoured to serve in this trying time. We sincerely thank you for your faith in our work. Together, we will rise above all of this.

As always, hope you and yours are safe. Stand strong and be of good courage.

Photo Credit: Photo by Jesse Yelin from Pexels