The world was right just a moment ago. Everything was going on like this and suddenly we are in the middle of a global crisis. Caused by a virus. Corona! Hardly anyone would have thought that possible.
The world was right just a moment ago. Everything was going on like this and suddenly we are in the middle of a global crisis. Caused by a virus. Corona! Hardly anyone would have thought that possible.
I grew up in a world without war, a safe roof over my head, without hunger, the only concern: how can I live my potential as fulfillingly as possible and at the same time profitably.
The economic curve seemed to be climbing steadily, with no end in sight. The greed for more is omnipresent. At the expense of the environment, of course. This was accepted with approval, by the big ones but also by us little ones. Or let's be honest, who really did without all the comforts, such as new clothes, coffee to go, shopping in the plastic supermarket, air travel, a car, etc.
I grew up in a world without war, a safe roof over my head, without hunger, the only concern: how can I live my potential as fulfillingly as possible and at the same time profitably.
The economic curve seemed to be climbing steadily, with no end in sight. The Greed for more is omnipresent. At the expense of the environment, of course. This was accepted with approval, by the big ones but also by us little ones. Or let's be honest, who really did without all the comforts, such as new clothes, coffee to go, shopping in the plastic supermarket, air travel, a car, etc.
Thanks to Corona and the associated extensive economic standstill in many countries, our earth is finally breathing. Everything is a matter of perspective. Nothing is just good or bad. Our earth doesn't care about the virus. She just keeps spinning.
And for the first time since humans existed, the planet that we populate so densely can breathe a sigh of relief. In all of our human history, we have not been able to voluntarily slow down and hit the pause button. And that although we describe ourselves as rational and intelligent beings. Quasi as the creation of nature. Well, that's not what our actions look like so far.
Of course, for me as a self-employed person, the curfew has devastating consequences. All my jobs have been cancelled, meaning I have no income until further notice. I live off my reserves and can calculate how long I can last financially until my account is zero.
And yet I find our enforced standstill wonderful. Finally peace in my head and around me.
I'm allowed to lounge around at home and do the things I never get to do otherwise. I devote myself to my garden for hours, devotionally cutting down the old grass, trimming the hydrangeas, scraping the stairs, sanding down the old wooden windows and repainting them, reading, painting, sculpting. How long has it been since I was in no rush, no time pressure?
And no leisure stress either! I don't have to go to events, parties, dinners, whether with friends or business partners. Not that I'm anti-social, but sometimes I find this always present, always being socially compatible also exhausting.
It's a time to look within, to question what really matters in life. What values am I carried by, which people are close to me? Also from whom or what can I separate, make myself lighter?
The virus forces me to reduce everything superfluous. From distraction to concentration on the essentials. Incidentally, toilet paper is not included :-). It is neither necessary for survival nor is it hygienic. That's why I own a bidet (butt shower!). By the way, I really recommend it.
I think that rest and solitude (being one with myself) are important in our sensory overloaded world. In the daily hamster wheel, we treat ourselves far too rarely. That's why I wish all of us to use this forced retreat positively. It is also a chance to see yourself more clearly.
No one knows how long the curfew will last... But what if we came to the conclusion THROUGH the virus that even in the post-virus period, a complete global shutdown once a week is the simplest and best way to protect the environment were. Then we would have learned something really positive from a bad thing. And such a personal shutdown would also do us good. Or don't you think so?
