A Hope A New "Normal"

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."- Jimi Hendrix

I have seen a lot of things in my life, but what I have seen and experienced this year, takes the cake. The truth is, I know that I am not alone. For me, the past four or five years has been incredibly stressful, full of sickness, loss, anxiety and enough despair to fill the Grand Canyon. With the "COVID Winter" upon us, we still have much to do, to get the virus under control, and regain some sense of normalcy, in our lives.

The truth is, that I know that I am not alone.

I chose to begin this post, with a quote from my idol, Jimi Hendrix, because for me, what Jimi said was spot on. Yes, Jimi arguably, was ahead of his time in terms of how he played, experimented with sound, and created music, that still baffles listeners, almost half a century after his passing. But, there is something really special about having the ability to extrapolate from a given moment, and project into the future.

Hendrix was certainly no saint, nor could he be misconstrued as a wise prophet. No, Jimi was just a a man who grew up poor, and found ways to develop his talent. Jimi always saw himself as an artist. He was always creating, writing and experimenting. From everything that I have ever read, saw or heard him say, from a man of his age (He died when he was just twenty-seven years old.), he had a wisdom and imagination beyond his years. For a man as well respected and admired as he was, Jimi's career was only a mere thirty-six months.

Looking back, one could easily say that Hendrix made the most of his fame and talent. At the time of his death, he had amassed an estimated 10,000 hours of recordings, many of which have been released well after his passing. At the time of his death, he had three studio albums that were ready for release, Valley of Neptune", "Both Sides of the Sky" and "People, Hell & Angels". All of which were mastered from the original recordings, as Jimi intended them to be.

As a young musician, who learned guitar on his own, Hendrix adopted some rather unorthodox methods of playing. He was prone to taking guitars apart, rewiring amplifiers, and while in the studio, always seeking to create unique sounds. The guitar was his brush and his music, the canvas.

When I though about writing this article, I couldn't help but marvel at Jimi's productivity and dedication to his craft. In thirty-six months, I accomplished more than most people do in an entire lifetime twice his age. The other thing that really struck me was his attitude towards his craft. I feel quite confident in saying that Jimi was quite the optimist. Being an artist he had to be. However, along his career path, Jimi had to come to understand the technical merits of guitar playing, performing and recording music. In his case, it was on the job training, and it was his attention to detail, that allowed him to be so creative.

The combination of Jimi's passion for music, combined with his unorthodox guitar playing and painstaking attention to detail, were the perfect combination of Art and Science, two things when brought together are acts of wonder.

Much can be said of many epidemiologists, doctors, nurses, First Responders and even teachers. So, what is the magic ingredient that drives these people? One can easily argue that money is why these folks do what they do. I know that many people in the field of Science, make good money. Saying that this is short sighted. These folks bring loads more than expertise and talent. They are some of the best problem solvers that you would ever want to meet, and they go to work every day, knowing full well, that their day will be filled with challenges, and obstacles, that will likely drive them crazy, but they do it anyway.

Here is why: They do what they do because they love doing it. They wake up every day knowing the dangers and obstacles that they will face and do it anyway. Is it passion? Is it faith? Is it a "higher calling"? Maybe. Looking at things pragmatically, I see it as something simple: it is taking a chance. That's really what Life is. Everyday, you get up, prepare to do whatever it is that you do, and with a relative idea of what your day will be like, you embark into the moment. If you work hard, and you are fortune to live to see the next day, you will get another chance, another opportunity, another event that you will fashion, in order to give the time and effort you spend any meaning.

This is my hope for a "New Normal", a way of living in the moment, with an attitude of optimism. A way of abandoning the arguments of the past. A way of living that embraces all living things. A way of being, in which people feel connected to each other and feel a sense of belonging. A fresh start for America. A chance to let go of all of the politics and rhetoric. A chance for all of us to work towards a common goal of health and prosperity, that has a seat at the table for everyone.

I ask all of you, to put those CBT skills of yours to use. take a deep breath. Take stock in what you have. Stay connected to the people that you love. Make peace with those who you find difficult. Cultivate a culture of optimism that can help all of us develop the innovation and tools that will be necessary to rise above the pestilence and different views. See the possibilities and work with others for a better day.

Today, there will be 2,000 people who die from COVID-19. Although there is a number of different vaccines, thousands more will die this winter, and thousands more will likely perish in the spring as well. As the technology is coming to ease this burden, while we are waiting and doing what we need to do to keep ourselves and our families safe, could we abandon all of the negativity? Can we all help those who are working hard to help us, by simply being kind?

I believe that a little optimism and kindness go a long way. This would be my hope for a "New Normal".