Many of us are clinging to some sort of normalcy, a familiarity or something recognizable.
With the world seemingly changing rapidly around us, it is tempting to cling on to what our lives were like in the pre-pandemic world.
I see and hear every day this longing to go back to the way things were before the pandemic. The thing is, we can’t go back to the ways things were before the pandemic.
“When we live in the past, we are asleep in the present.” – Dr. Joe Dispenza.
If we keep looking back to how things were and what things were like before the pandemic, we are missing out on things that are happening around us.
Dr. Dispenza often talks and writes about how many of our lives on autopilot. Each day looks like the day before.
Routine often brings a sense of comfort because we know what happens next. It’s when we break this routine when we can see changes happen. I personally believe this a natural time for all of us to grow and make any changes in our lives that we have always wanted to make.
This is not to dismiss the effects that the pandemic has had on all of us. While there are common threads we can all relate to, we are also dealing with and experiencing the pandemic in different ways. Many of us had to deal with the health effects of COVID-19, some the economic effects, and others both.
Our way of life, in many instances, will be changed forever. We’re longing for a time where we do not have to worry about wearing masks, social distancing, or thinking about COVID-19. The pandemic will change us, the question is, how do you want to come out on the other side?
Everything around us is always changing
The truth is nothing is permanent and everything changes, even what we consider to be “normal.” If we look to nature we see this happening all of the time. The sun rises and sets each day and seasons come and go.
Just like nature, our lives are also evolving and changing each day. Even if one day is sunny and the next day is also sunny, one may have more clouds in the sky than the other. It’s these subtle differences that we can focus on that shows us that no two moments are exactly the change no matter how similar they look on the surface.
I have been challenging myself throughout the pandemic to try and find these little moments. I am creating a little notepad to keep a record of these little moments. Creating an intention of noticing, not seeking, can help you stay in the present moment.
All of these experiences throughout the year helps create a new normal. It does not matter if we perceive these moments as “good” or “bad” they have shaped who we are in this moment.
With the world constantly in flux, know that you go inside for a sense of solitude and stability. We each have that power, regardless of what is going on around us, to create a new normal.
Personally, I am working on dismantling my idea of what “normal” is and becoming comfortable with the unknown. So far, I have found a few surprises along the way.
Joe Gullo