I’ve been asking my friends and clients if they want to go back to normal and the answer is, every time, a resounding NO!
If it means going back to the congested motorways and no time to spend with friends and family or in meaningful pursuits, then it’s no wonder we don’t want to go back there.
We had time to press pause, reset and revaluate what normal looks like. What lessons have we learned, individually and collectively? Is there a better, more balanced way forward?
Last week, I asked my Facebook community to share the three key insights they gained during lock-down and what they wanted to keep going forward. One of my friends summed it up well: 1) that I don't want to keep over exhausting myself 2) that life can be beautiful, productive and relaxing at the same time 3) that I want to spend less time driving!
They were very generous with their responses - I have put the main themes into a word cloud (pictured above). Here is what matters the most:
Kindness - the importance of being kind to ourselves and others seems to be one of the most important takeaways. We have been faced with our shared humanity and vulnerability and our empathy has grown.
Slowing-down has enabled us to find more contentment and clarity, to notice the abundance of all the small, priceless things which weave the fabric of our lives that we were too busy and distracted to appreciate before.
Connection - The importance of our families, friends and communities and that connecting with others can take many shapes and forms, including the surprising depth of connection we can form online if we try to make it work.
Less driving - It seems most of us are not keen to go back to our daily commutes. We enjoyed walking down the streets, biking with our kids and chatting with our neighbours more. I am curious if we will work from home more now that we have systems in place and confidence to make them work? More flexibility and more trust may mean greater productivity and better work-life balance.
A video presented as a bedtime story from the future that has gone viral, reflects on things we discovered during the lockdown and the new way of life it fostered. It’s worth a watch.
Finally, I am reminded of the Top Five Regrets of the Dying, the research done by the palliative nurse, Bronnie Ware. I hope that living through a global crisis will remind us of what we truly care about and inspire us to live our lives to the fullest, so that we may not have these regrets.
