The sheltering-in-place order has been in effect for about 3 weeks now in California. Although we are free to go outside our houses, take walks, go to the store, etc., it feels very confining. Many of us will, at least initially, fail to see the opportunity this offers us. We won't ask, "How would I live my life if this (shelter-in-place and the threat of contracting a deadly disease) were the new normal?"
Things are difficult now because we are trying to drive the old square peg into a new round hole. What if we took a conscious, in-depth approach to this situation? Even assuming that someday things will get back to "normal," does that normal need to look like the old normal? This is a rare opportunity to grow in new directions.
As time passes, we are beginning to experiment with processes and technologies that will offer us a more satisfactory life than one of isolation. People, who had never done it, are shopping on line. Friends are having Zoom parties using the cameras on their cellular devices to bring them together. Restaurants have contrived drive by pickups and free deliveries. One set of restaurants even sells gallon jugs of margaritas to go. Day by day, boredom forces us to be innovative with our time. But it is piecemeal in its occurrence. What if?
What if we ask ourselves, "What interesting positive things have developed as a result of this situation?" "How is my life different in a good way than it was before all this?" "What attitudes and behaviors would I like to carry forward after this threat has passed?" "How has this situation caused me to think about my future?" "How do I view "being prepared" now that I have been immersed in this challenge?"
The last thing I want to happen, is that I come out of this as I was before.