Brace Yourself
Happy Monday!
Did you discover something extraordinary about yourself during the quarantine period?
Brace yourself because the real battle is happening/ will happen as we open our doors, step out and brave the new world.
I struggled to complete this article today because I can feel the activity milling around me. Although I am not outside braving the streets yet, I received messages, notifications, requests for meetings and things I need to finally face after being cooped up in my little hideaway for the past two months. Honestly, I felt attacked by stimulus and it was unsettling.
Welcome World!
As I gather myself, I figured out, this IS the real battle. It is not the many donation drives, prayer brigades, community building we have done in the quarantine period. The real battle is being out in the open, opening stores, driving through traffic, facing at every step the many changes outside since we were last out.
Will I really wear those masks and face shields? Will I offend anyone if I refuse to come near them or talk with them in close proximity or have lunch with them? Oh lunch, will I just bring food from home from now on? What sanitation and security measures should I adhere to so that I could protect my family?
The world has gone paranoid and for good reasons. We might even be returning to a world where not everyone we know survived. We may also be faced with people who experienced loss and we do not know what to say to them.
We are returning to a world we will meet for the first time.
The unsettling feeling will linger till we acclimate to the new normal. Know that you are not alone. We will figure this out together.
For the mean time...
1. Accept that the world changed and will continue to change. It requires a more flexible, braver you and there is no turning back.
2. Go to your center. Despite having less people out, the world will suddenly feel more noisy. Find quiet times in the day to pray, to be quiet, to process things that are happening. We would need those pockets of time to ourselves more often now and you should give it to yourself.
3. Uncertainties in timelines, in processes, in regulations, in work flow , in communication will abound. Be more understanding and patient. Go back to your own feelings of uncertainty, know that everyone else is on the same boat.
4. Be a problem solver. The only way these trying times will challenge you in a good way is when you decide that what you have in front of you needs a better handling and then challenge yourself to face it and contribute.
5. Know who and what matters. Our values and priorities will play a big part in every moment of decision, no matter how small. Get rid of the extras: spending, socializing, politics, even worrying. Give way for staying safe, protecting your loved ones, fulfilling obligations, being a better man.
Brace yourself because this is going to be a hell of a ride and we cannot survive this with a mind that has giving up as an option. Charge on and be chiseled to shape by the world of the future. Take courage.
Did you discover something extraordinary about yourself during the quarantine period?
Brace yourself because the real battle is happening/ will happen as we open our doors, step out and brave the new world.
I struggled to complete this article today because I can feel the activity milling around me. Although I am not outside braving the streets yet, I received messages, notifications, requests for meetings and things I need to finally face after being cooped up in my little hideaway for the past two months. Honestly, I felt attacked by stimulus and it was unsettling.
Welcome World!
As I gather myself, I figured out, this IS the real battle. It is not the many donation drives, prayer brigades, community building we have done in the quarantine period. The real battle is being out in the open, opening stores, driving through traffic, facing at every step the many changes outside since we were last out.
Will I really wear those masks and face shields? Will I offend anyone if I refuse to come near them or talk with them in close proximity or have lunch with them? Oh lunch, will I just bring food from home from now on? What sanitation and security measures should I adhere to so that I could protect my family?
The world has gone paranoid and for good reasons. We might even be returning to a world where not everyone we know survived. We may also be faced with people who experienced loss and we do not know what to say to them.
We are returning to a world we will meet for the first time.
The unsettling feeling will linger till we acclimate to the new normal. Know that you are not alone. We will figure this out together.
For the mean time...
1. Accept that the world changed and will continue to change. It requires a more flexible, braver you and there is no turning back.
2. Go to your center. Despite having less people out, the world will suddenly feel more noisy. Find quiet times in the day to pray, to be quiet, to process things that are happening. We would need those pockets of time to ourselves more often now and you should give it to yourself.
3. Uncertainties in timelines, in processes, in regulations, in work flow , in communication will abound. Be more understanding and patient. Go back to your own feelings of uncertainty, know that everyone else is on the same boat.
4. Be a problem solver. The only way these trying times will challenge you in a good way is when you decide that what you have in front of you needs a better handling and then challenge yourself to face it and contribute.
5. Know who and what matters. Our values and priorities will play a big part in every moment of decision, no matter how small. Get rid of the extras: spending, socializing, politics, even worrying. Give way for staying safe, protecting your loved ones, fulfilling obligations, being a better man.
Brace yourself because this is going to be a hell of a ride and we cannot survive this with a mind that has giving up as an option. Charge on and be chiseled to shape by the world of the future. Take courage.
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