When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change. – Dr. Wayne Dyer
Last year, we all went to sleep in one world and woke up in another.
There’s constant talk about ‘getting back to normal’…
I think the idea is highly overrated. During this challenging COVID-19 journey, we’ve found higher ground. Why would we descend again…?
Why would we not seize the opportunity to grow from this challenging experience?
The world we left behind
The World Health Organization declared coronavirus a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. In what felt like the blink of an eye, nothing was the same…
Suddenly…
Disney is out of magic.
Paris is no longer romantic.
New York doesn’t stand up anymore.
The Chinese Wall is no longer a fortress.
Mecca is empty.
Spirituality is a personal home-centered quest.
Virtual concerts are the new ‘live’.
Freedom of speech and religion are cherished rights.
Being color blind is a cherished sight.
And strengthening families solves our plight.
Hugs and kisses become weapons.
Not visiting family and friends become acts of love.
The changes to our daily lives – simple practices like buying groceries and the more complex, like weddings and funerals – were disruptive and unsettling. People sparred over toilet paper and complained about the loss of social gatherings for celebration or mourning.
As an executive coach, though, I see the power of disruption…because it leads to personal growth.
And I’d like to believe that we’ve all grown during this ‘Pause and Purge Pandemic’.
The world we’re re-shaping
I said that we’d discovered higher ground. Here’s what I mean.
I believe we’ve collectively arrived at some essential truths. I talk about some of them in my keynote speeches…
Power, beauty, and money are worthless – they can’t get you the oxygen you’re fighting to breathe.
Wearing a surgical mask to hide the mask you’ve already been hiding behind proves that your worth has always been about inner beauty…and that our eyes really are the window to our souls.
In all its beauty, the Earth has been breathing deeply – cars parked, planes grounded…pollution subsiding. Without humankind poisoning the waters with their commerce, Mother Nature has been cleaning her oceans, lakes, and streams, creating a more welcoming environment for flora and fauna.
Could the Earth be sending us a message, and would it be:
“You are not necessary. The air, land, water, and sky without you are fine. When you come back, remember that you are my guests. Not my masters. You are brothers and sisters – not enemies – who have been called as ‘gardeners’ to till and nurture my beautiful world.”
Getting back to ‘normal’? Why?
As we have experienced this pandemic, so many of us are trying to get back to ‘normal’…
I ask: What part of normal is worth rushing back to in such a hurry?
And what a waste of our lives it will be if we did not learn these lessons:
Realizing physical distancing is okay, but social distancing is not.
Acknowledging that talking on the phone instead of texting is a richer experience.
Understanding that the human touch – rather than a social media post – is more authentic, meaningful, and necessary for healthy conversation.
We’ve said good-bye to dying loved ones through panes of glass or with masked faces and gloved hands. What more to inspire us to seize the opportunities to have meaningful relationships with loved ones and colleagues now that we’re on the verge of regaining control over our health and safety?
Now is the time to take this disruption and seek lasting change. To strive for a life of significance.
Three actions to find your higher ground
Do you want to take the lessons you’ve learned from this experience and achieve real growth?
1. Evaluate
Dedicate time to contemplate your current beliefs. How do they align with your values? How do they align with the people around you?
2. Eliminate
To walk the higher ground, you must remove negative influences from your life. Not just negative people…purge your life of negative habits. Be aware of the relationships you have with colleagues, friends, family, and ask yourself if there’s room for improvement on your part. Some negative tendency that undermines the quality of your relationship.
3. Elevate
Elevate your commitment to creating a better, cleaner, more magical, romantic, spiritual, trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, reverent, respectful, grateful, and unconditionally loving world!
A tall order, indeed. But in following these three steps, you’ll continue to walk on higher ground with greater purpose, knowing…
The most visible creators are those artists whose medium is life itself. The ones who express the inexpressible without brush, hammer, clay, or guitar. They neither paint nor sculpt. Their medium is being. Whatever their presence touches increases life. They see and don’t have to draw – they are the artists of being fully alive!
Would you like to live a life of significance? I can help you – or your organization – pursue and achieve significance. Contact me, and we’ll get started.
Enjoyed this article? Here are three more to help you achieve a life of significance:
A Winning Mentality Will Lead You To A Life Of Significance
KEYNOTE SPEAKER – Dan Clark
Empower Yourself To Stretch And Discover Real Growth
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