we versus me

You might think I'm off my rocker when I say, in the midst of the growing coronavirus pandemic, that there are exciting days ahead. But I can assure you I'm not. Nor am I belittling, in anyway, the seriousness of this virus and how it will unfold in the days, weeks and months ahead.

However, I truly feel that the coronavirus is, in part, here to teach us lessons on being authentic human beings, returning to the energy of love that I know is inside each and every one of us.

For too long now we have lived in an over-consuming society where we want everything now, right now, and we toss things aside willy-nilly when we get bored with them or they've served their initial purpose, where we live in the energy of fear, lack, scarcity, and are weighed down by stress and corresponding dis-ease.

Our growing and demanding nature for instant gratification and satisfaction has been placing so much pressure on this beautiful planet we live in. From over-production and over-consumption to under-use and under-appreciation, it feels we've lost touch with the natural world around us and take so much for granted. Our energy of fear, lack and scarcity has led, in recent days, to panic buying and has taken our focus away from gratification for every blessing in our life and, indeed, even being able to see the blessings that fill our lives every day. The stress and constant on-the-go lifestyles that we lead have led to dis-ease and imbalance in our bodies and an over-dependence on medicine and drugs, not taking the time out to slow down and allow our bodies to self-heal.

So, it feels to me that the coronavirus has been a long-time coming. To stop us in our tracks, quite literally, and encourage us to take stock of how we, as a human race, are living, of the destructive self-satisfying path we've been walking for decades, happily ignorant of its impact on life around us.

As country by country begins to close down in an attempt to contain and stop the virus, it's our opportunity to use this time to look inward. To understand and appreciate that the selfish lives we've been living where we have demanded to have everything we want when we want it, irrespective of how that may impact another being, human or sentient animal, or Mother Earth; where we're creating technology so fast without studying its impact on our health or those we share this planet with, or the planet itself; where we're destroying land and animal habitats for the over-production of crops all from the viewpoint of profit; where we're damaging Mother Earth because we feel we can (and can get away with it); where we're treating animals like commodities and ignoring their cries of pain, fear and help... to mention but a few out-of-control issues that make up our everyday lives.

It's not only time to self-check and be honest with ourselves and the part we have played in the destruction and devastation around us, as consumers, to educate ourselves and open our eyes, it's also time to pull back and become local citizens as well as global citizens.

As the citizens of Italy and Spain, for example, enter isolation and are banned from public gatherings and from going to school and work, some of the most beautiful scenes are flooding social media. Residents in Italy who live in apartment blocks share music with each other from their balconies so they feel a sense of community and belonging. Residents of Spain have been standing outside on their balconies showing their respect and support for the health-workers who put us before themselves, by cheering and clapping.

In countries which aren't yet experiencing isolation, neighbours are looking after elderly neighbours and helping them with grocery shopping. I've read about hotels and restaurants offering their elderly customers free home delivery of meals.

The lockdowns and isolations are bringing out, in those affected, the real goodness and love that resides in each and every human being, goodness and love that have often been forgotten as our lives, before, were running so fast that we had no time to consider anyone beyond ourselves.

As we live indoors, without rushing out to work each morning or dropping the kids to school, we have the priceless opportunity to reconnect with our loved ones, to really understand and appreciate what's going on in their lives, to talk, to spend time together, to get to know each other again.

And as our blinkers are removed and we begin to see, truly see, the lives around us, the lives with whom we share our family and community, we can begin to expand from a me-perspective to a we-perspective. As the speed of life slows down, we can connect to and open our heart-space, becoming better and more loving human beings.

Our challenge will be, will we learn from our current experience and become more we-focused, loving human beings or when 'normality' returns will we forget the lessons we've learned and stop practising what is inate in each one of us, choosing to return to the me-focused, demanding and impatient human race that has created this virus in the first place?

Only time will tell.

However, I do invite you, over the coming weeks and months to look inward, to open your heart space so it is big enough to reach out and touch those both near to you and far from you, to understand that we are one energy and we're all in this together. This is our opportunity to make new choices and decisions from a place of love, love for ourselves and our own energy, love for those around us, love for those we share this planet with, both human and non-human, and love for Mother Earth, herself. This is our opportunity to become a new human race, one that can turn our world around and create beauty once more, through love.

Are you ready to look inward?

Viv xx