I firmly believe this is one of the biggest global shifts of consciousness/thinking in the history of mankind. Never before have we been so connected, which means never before have we been able to see the devastation across continents like we can in real-time. It's been brutal, hopeful, fearful, and uplifting; the images of the deceased juxtaposed with whole cities coming together to thank our healthcare workers. A time like we've never seen before, and one that will hopefully remind us of the things that are truly important.
In my opinion, there's one thing that has found its way into the brains of nearly every person on the planet: mindfulness. Unless you're living under a rock in Antartica or have little access to technology (which unfortunately is still the case for some third-world countries), you're almost certainly aware of the changes to our societies and ways of life. When our daily routines get completely disrupted, the monotony that comes with them does as well. Gone are the days of eating breakfast in a hurry to rush out the door to sit in traffic. Sitting behind a desk looking at spreadsheets in a cubicle is a thing of the past for many people now. Taking the same drive home five days out of the week is ancient history. These things may come back someday, but for the time being, one thing is evident: we've had to change.
Changes in our lives, our eating, our exercise regimens, nearly everything is different. Which means we've had to think about how we do what we did, when we did it, and how we can still have some semblance of doing that now. Conscious thinking, conscious choosing, conscious living.
Deciding between which variations of the soup you've been making lately may not seem like much, but this is the perfect example of mindfulness in everyday life. These moments of being fully present don't have to mean waterfalls in the background while you're sitting on the ground taking deep breaths. They can simply be conscious food decisions, mindful work breaks when needed, or choosing to walk a different route than normal to catch the sunset. The little things are the ones that make up the big things in life. Love, happiness, presence, they're all big goals we strive for without realizing they're solidified in the small moments in our lives.
This time has been a horror for some. And the impact will be felt for years to come for businesses and individuals alike. But my hope is that the impact won't be all negative. The lessons that we've been forced to learn are now planted in our brains. It's up to us to keep watering them.
"A Single Seed" is my attempt to get out one idea every day that I've learned or accumulated over the years, with the hope that it may stick in someone else's memory bank as well. The idea may be related to fitness, business, life, or philosophy, but I think you'll find that many can change domains if you wish them to. With each seed planted, a new life awaits.
Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/micurs/4452957097
