Something Different, Something Better!
It has been a most unusual April. A third of the world’s population has been forced to stay at home and much of the remaining population has chosen to stay home and stay safe. It’s been challenging, but it has been fun as well. Families and friends have actually connected. Couples who have never cooked, have cooked together. The hamster-wheel of human existence has slowed down. We have finally had a chance to reflect.
We have had the time to reflect upon our successes and dwell upon our failures. There has been plenty of time to consider the things that could have or perhaps should have been done differently and time to contemplate the future and all that it holds. The 24-hour news media has repeated it so often that we take it for granted now – the future will be different!
But, will the future be different for us as individuals? Today was the future 10 years ago, did we actually plan for today? Did we plan to be here? People like Bill Gates probably imagined this pandemic. People at WHO and CDC probably had nightmares about this type of pandemic. But you and me – did we plan to be here? Did we visualise this present?
I guess most people, like me, just worked hard and vaguely thought of a future with kids, a home, enough money for a couple of holidays a year and a spouse who loves them. But we never really thought about it. We just believed it would be ok. Off course there are those who had it all planned-out, but they are the exception. For the majority, we just kind of arrived in April 2020.
Perhaps we are all like Alice in “Alice in Wonderland” who asks the cat
“Would you tell me, please, which way I out to go from here? “
“That depends a good deal on where you want to go,” said the cat.
“I don’t much care where –” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the cat.
“- so long as I get somewhere,” Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the cat, “if you only walk long enough.”
We got somewhere. We got to April 2020. Global pandemic. Crisis. The new normal!
What now? Do we follow the same thinking that got us here in the first place? Do we just believe it will be ok? What if we do something different? What if we actually take the time to visualise the future we want?
o A future where family and friends are at the centre of our existence.
o A future where we recognise that this planet is our only home and it is our collective responsibility to look after it.
o A future of conscious consumerism where we only buy what we need so we reduce waste.
The law of attraction dictates that whatever can be imagined and held in the mind’s eye is achievable. Let us imagine a happier, cleaner, and slower world and if we all picture this future then maybe, just maybe, this will be remembered as the time when we found our collective consciousness and the world became a better place to live.
Personal Assistant at H.I.G. Capital
4 年Really well written, Vipul. You've clearly thought about this a lot.
President : Medibio USA, Dime international
4 年Beautiful and I so tiring thanks bhai
Director - Takims Holidays | Past Area Director at Entrepreneurs' Organisation | Non Executive Director at Reliance Insurance | Communication Coach | TEDx Speaker
4 年But here is the thing Vipul - we may wish to change the style of our existence, simply because we have experienced something different. However the disruption of our previous existence was not a result of not adhering to the principles of conscious consumerism and reducing waste. How many might actually be waiting to get back to the 'old normal' that they so dearly miss?
CEO Standard Chartered Bank Uganda ???? | Chairman IFAC PAIB AG ?? | YPO Member | Chartered Accountant | Proud father & husband | Life long learner | Enable people to live fulfilled lives | Networking | Views = My Own !
4 年Vipul Shah - Deep piece, I agree with your main take aways. Strange times - wiser decisions for a better future is way to go !!!