Sunday Fireside [12/04/2020]

Right off the bat, let me just say that this virus, this pandemic, has a lot of bad come with it. Seeing doctors and nurses who have had to move out of home to protect their family, all while working 80 hour weeks, seeing the massive divide of the have and have-nots, and even seeing the medical systems crashing in some countries – that’s pretty terrible. And you don’t need me to tell you that either. It’s a great big spotlight on what we have been valuing for far too long – celebrities and sports stars being paid more than it takes to keep a hospital afloat. Oil prices that have never stopped going up, until the world no longer needs to move.
When it comes down to it, everything that keeps the world happy, healthy, and alive was somehow an afterthought.

And yet, there’s a potential for a lot of good to come out of this too. I don’t want to downplay the seriousness of the situation, not at all. But we hear too much doom and gloom on the 6PM news. It’s not good for one’s soul. Instead, focus on what good we can squeeze from it. This great pause, this stopping of the world, it’s never happened before. We have an opportunity here. We get to decide what is going on in our lives without the constant barrage of advertisers, and the to-and-fro of commuting, and the craving of one more McDonald’s burger.

With this great pause, we get to face our excuses head on. Like the excuse of “I’ll get to it when I have time”. We get a chance to sit down and discover who we are and who we want to be. Mostly free from any peer, societal or media pressure. Those that can stop, should. Those that can slow things down, should. We’ll never ever have another chance like this again in our lives. Let us use this gift of time we have been given, and not squander it. I am sure, like me, the last thing you want, when this is all over, is for the world to go back to normal.

For myself, I have been enjoying working from home during the week – it’s a freeing feeling when you’re wearing comfortable clothes while you work. The sheer joy of getting up to get tea when your watch tells you it’s time to stand is indescribable. The environment is relaxing.
Yet another benefit is that communication between colleagues must rise to the occasion and really become clear and concise. No more mixed messages, or hurried instruction.

Spending more time at home has also allowed me more time to think about the man I am vs the man I want to be. Normally, I’d be too busy thinking about what’s for dinner, do we need anything from the shops, what’s next on the gym plan, are my clothes clean for work tomorrow, did I get enough steps in…
Now all those minor worries, which take up so much brain space, have simply vanished. I have a solid home workout plan, organizing food is super easy, my car doesn’t need petrol because I am not going anywhere, etc, etc…

It has been this mental free space that has been afforded to me to really think about what my best self would do. That, in combination of the #AprilAchievementChallenge that my podcast is running, has allowed to me to really dwell on what type of person I wish to, or want to be. It may seem silly, but achievements in games and how we unlock them has played on my mind quite a bit this week.

In my mind, this lockdown, it’s a gift. One we’ll never get again. We have the chance to make a difference in our homes and in the world when we restart it.
Let’s all focus on what matters. Let’s remember the feeling of not being able to give your friends a hug. Let’s focus on the essential workers, the ones that actually make a difference in our lives.

Finally, let us remember just how much better off we have been without the advertisements, the celebrities, and the junk food.