Every crisis has brought us together. We have been a witness to this through every war, act of terrorism, natural disasters, economic collapses, man-made disasters pandemics and epidemics. In fact, out of all of these, the pandemics have propelled humanity forward and changed the way we live. We were given a chance to look within what we were doing wrong and make those corrections. We have that chance again now. Every 100 years or so, one of these invisible guys flock the planet and do their job. Disabling and dismembering the lives of humans and throwing us into complete chaos from which a new order is formed.

What we are currently experiencing is utter pandemonium which is more than the pandemic itself. The real virus spreading quicker is the paralyzing fear, panic, the impulsive irrational hoarding, the fake news, rumours, making the coronavirus the only conversation we seem to be having when we ought to be talking more about how we even got to this place at all. How did we, as evolving human beings and the stewards of this planet, through our own choices through the millennia come to this point?

What if we are being offered time off to take stock with what is going on around the world?

This pause button that we have hit, where cities and towns are on lockdown, maybe a great time for us to introspect. Aside from getting to do everything we didn’t have time for, possibly learn something new, spend time with family and friends at home, what if we took time to introspect on our own personal choices that brought us here?

The first step in healing anything is recognizing that there is a problem and having the awareness to take steps to ensure we never choose what we have chosen till now again. We as human beings have messed up. Big time. Again, and again and again and again.

If we have been a witness to acts of wrongdoing by others, we become a part of it even if we simply stood there and let it happen. So, by that, each of us is responsible for climate change, epidemic, all sorts of pollution and the overall degradation of the environment. We have not kept our collective home clean. We have dumped on it, abused it, misused it, looted it and made money off of it.

Our home is dirty. Our desires are misplaced. Our actions are questionable. Our choices are shameful. Our future is bleak. The Earth isn’t dying. We are.

We have used everything the Earth has had to offer us with a sense of entitlement thinking it will be there tomorrow for ours to take. No, it may not, simply because we as a race may not exist anymore. Nature will sustain and replenish. We won’t.

There have been some amazing and positive things happening around the world in these most trying times. We’ve watched numerable videos clips of people in cities singing from their balconies, other whole cities applauding healthcare workers, countries doing everything they can to support their people and millions of stories on every street that just make your day and your heart beam with joy because that is what you have known always means to be human.

Every crisis has a silver lining. What if we never stop doing these things? Why does it take a crisis for us to become more human?

As the co-inhabitants of this beautiful blue planet, we can extend the same compassion, love, joy and support to the other species.

What if we start to spread the virus called love and oneness every single day? 

My real fear is this.

Once the coronavirus and covid19 scare subsides, everything will go back to normal (like it was before) and this insane event will too be forgotten over time or at most find a place in history books in school. If you can call the way we live right now anywhere close to normal.

I fear more than the virus itself that we will perhaps not learn our lessons with this event. It should be a constant reminder of how and where we failed as a species. That we let a crisis go waste, not having changed a single thing in the way we live, eat, spend, consume and waste.

I am asking us to introspect and not let this time be wasted. I am asking for a change.

A change in our values
A change in our priorities
A change in our hearts
A change in our mindsets
A change in our desires

And take responsibility for how we live and shape the world going forward. I take full responsibility for my choices and actions so far.

“I for one am responsible for being reckless, wasting natural resources, food, clothing, purchasing things I never needed and then throwing them away, I am responsible for the garbage on the planet that may have choked birds, fish and some animals to death, I am a contributor to pollution of every kind including that of minds and hearts, air and water, soil and food, I am responsible for profit with no consciousness, I am responsible for darkness and abuse. And so much more that I am currently unaware of and I choose at this moment to bring to light so I can make those changes in my home.”

What would you like to bring to this planet?

What world would you like to create now that we never have such a crisis in it ever again and we can sing from balconies not just to uplight spirits and connect with each other, but because we are joyous for having created a world in which harmony, compassion and kindness is going viral?