“Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.”
― Vincent van Gogh
“Stay mad, but behave like normal people. Run the risk of being different, but learn to do so without attracting attention.”
― Paulo Coelho
It’s amazing how quickly things change. It has been seven months since Christmas, when no one outside of a small area in China knew anything about a virus that was beginning to spread and show signs of acting differently than a normal flu. Now here we are, seven months later, living in a pandemic. We can’t do what we used to do. Some people are coping by trying to ignore it, others are getting through by telling themselves that it won’t last much longer. The only thing we know for sure is – we just don’t know.
Life as it was is no more. Even when we eventually move past this, the way things work will be different. More companies are discovering that their employees can work productively from home and are moving in the direction of making that permanent. Those who can work from home are choosing to move away from the city, no longer needing to be in close proximity to the office. Education and travel are changing and many other things we used to take for granted are either no longer available, or no longer important.
Some refer to it as the “new normal”. It’s really just a different set of habits we are learning that has altered our lifestyles due to our susceptibility to a virus. This is about survival and the changes that will be necessary to move forward from here. The direction we go in now is what matters. Normal is being able to take care of our base needs like food, shelter and clothing. Then go from there.
Time Goes By – A study from the U.K. has shown that social and physical distancing measures put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted people’s perception of how quickly time passed compared to their pre-lockdown perceptions. A survey found that more than 80 percent of participants experienced a change in how quickly they thought time was passing during lockdown compared to pre-lockdown. Older people or those less satisfied with their current levels of social interaction were more likely to experience a slower passage of time over the course of the day or the week. Time is relative, after all.
Thought of the Day – The day is ahead and to live it consciously will allow you to see the opportunities around you. Make your home and work space a pleasant place to be and then enjoy being in it. We should at least be happy where we are. Have a beautiful Saturday.
“I remained too much inside my head and ended up losing my mind”
― Edgar Allen Poe