Confinement is changing our lives…and hopefully for good…
Lesson #1: freedom begins and ends in your mind
For many people it is difficult to be locked up. Some people have compared being at home as if they were in prison. The truth is: confinement is physical, not mental. You can have a small apartment or a very large house and still feel locked up. No amount of money or square meters will ever be enough to make you feel free if you don't redefine what freedom is. Freedom begins and ends in your mind until you want it.
Lesson #2: being productive doesn’t mean being in the office
It’s interesting to see what people understand by being productive. For most it is going to the office... even if they lose a lot of time in the office... the simple fact of being in the office is doing something. Why this happens? Because they equate being at home with resting, doing nothing or being sick. The truth is that home can be a place, a person; as it is being productive: it is not related to a specific place, nor does it depend on a schedule. Wherever you are, you can be productive.
Lesson #3: creativity is very powerful
Have you seen how children entertain themselves with simple things? If they don’t have their toys, they’ll find a way to use what is near them to start playing. Here is good news for you: that's how you were and you still have imagination. Go back to basics; not all your life has been accompanied by mobiles or social networks. Remember what you used to do when you were a teenager, how did you have fun? You can reconnect with yourself and with others by doing simple things. Put music and dance, watch a sunrise or sunset, write in a diary, take and see photos…looking back into the past can also remind you of what you have accomplished, where you have been, who have you been with and the blessing you have to be alive.
Lesson #4: live one day at a time
We have heard this many times: life is too short…but now that we are facing a pandemic, death can feel closer. This can be scary; generate uncertainty and unbalance our lives. What will you do after the confinement ends? Where will you go? Who would you like to see again? Make a list. What pending things do you have with other people? The good news: Today you can tell people how you feel. By living one day at a time and being at peace with yourself, you will bring balance and security to your life. When people have a clear life, without pending issues, there is no fear of the future. Live your life one day at a time.
Lesson #5: hugs and kisses are priceless!
This is the truth: we all need human contact. A hug, a kiss, have a great power… is that of connection; the sense of belonging, the feeling of being accepted and loved at its best. It’s about exchanging energy. If you don’t believe me think this: when someone is angry, what is their reaction? “Don’t touch me!” This is how we express that we don’t like or reject that person. When someone is sad, a hug given with love can make them feel great. This is the power that human touch has in all of us. After the pandemic ends, who are you going to hug and kiss?
Lesson #6: lack of time is an excuse (it’s proven)
If we all save time by staying at home, what's the excuse for not returning that call, answering an email or a message? None. People are used to excuse themselves by: I'm out of town, I'm on business lunch, I'm stuck in traffic... think of all the time you spend getting around; at business lunches, at the airport. How much time have you spent there? Now that you're home, what are you doing with your time? By now you could have caught up on the issues you had pending. But if you are still saying that "you are busy" ... I am sorry to tell you this ... it means that you are either a much disorganized person or that you have made the excuse of "being busy" as your lifestyle. Either way, it is highly unlikely that you will change. And the truth is that you prefer to say that you are too busy instead of telling people that you are not really interested, that you will not do what they are asking you, etc. What are you avoiding to confront?
This point extends to family: how many times have you said that you don't have time to be with your children, wife or husband? Now you have plenty of time! There are no excuses during the weekend or after finish working. So the question is: do you have time to be with your family or do you use the excuse of being busy for not to? And if the answer is the latter, ask yourself why. Because lack of time is an excuse for lack of interest. Yes, confinement is pushing us to face our real lives... and reveal who we really are.
If from confinement we don't learn to be better people... I really don't know what else we need to do it. And this is just a couple of lessons from what we can learn.
It is time to fix our life: to order and balance it. Take control of who we are; appreciate life. And hopefully, whether we're still in confinement or not, we'll wake up smiling every day ... just because we are alive and happy.
Lesson #1: freedom begins and ends in your mind
For many people it is difficult to be locked up. Some people have compared being at home as if they were in prison. The truth is: confinement is physical, not mental. You can have a small apartment or a very large house and still feel locked up. No amount of money or square meters will ever be enough to make you feel free if you don't redefine what freedom is. Freedom begins and ends in your mind until you want it.
Lesson #2: being productive doesn’t mean being in the office
It’s interesting to see what people understand by being productive. For most it is going to the office... even if they lose a lot of time in the office... the simple fact of being in the office is doing something. Why this happens? Because they equate being at home with resting, doing nothing or being sick. The truth is that home can be a place, a person; as it is being productive: it is not related to a specific place, nor does it depend on a schedule. Wherever you are, you can be productive.
Lesson #3: creativity is very powerful
Have you seen how children entertain themselves with simple things? If they don’t have their toys, they’ll find a way to use what is near them to start playing. Here is good news for you: that's how you were and you still have imagination. Go back to basics; not all your life has been accompanied by mobiles or social networks. Remember what you used to do when you were a teenager, how did you have fun? You can reconnect with yourself and with others by doing simple things. Put music and dance, watch a sunrise or sunset, write in a diary, take and see photos…looking back into the past can also remind you of what you have accomplished, where you have been, who have you been with and the blessing you have to be alive.
Lesson #4: live one day at a time
We have heard this many times: life is too short…but now that we are facing a pandemic, death can feel closer. This can be scary; generate uncertainty and unbalance our lives. What will you do after the confinement ends? Where will you go? Who would you like to see again? Make a list. What pending things do you have with other people? The good news: Today you can tell people how you feel. By living one day at a time and being at peace with yourself, you will bring balance and security to your life. When people have a clear life, without pending issues, there is no fear of the future. Live your life one day at a time.
Lesson #5: hugs and kisses are priceless!
This is the truth: we all need human contact. A hug, a kiss, have a great power… is that of connection; the sense of belonging, the feeling of being accepted and loved at its best. It’s about exchanging energy. If you don’t believe me think this: when someone is angry, what is their reaction? “Don’t touch me!” This is how we express that we don’t like or reject that person. When someone is sad, a hug given with love can make them feel great. This is the power that human touch has in all of us. After the pandemic ends, who are you going to hug and kiss?
Lesson #6: lack of time is an excuse (it’s proven)
If we all save time by staying at home, what's the excuse for not returning that call, answering an email or a message? None. People are used to excuse themselves by: I'm out of town, I'm on business lunch, I'm stuck in traffic... think of all the time you spend getting around; at business lunches, at the airport. How much time have you spent there? Now that you're home, what are you doing with your time? By now you could have caught up on the issues you had pending. But if you are still saying that "you are busy" ... I am sorry to tell you this ... it means that you are either a much disorganized person or that you have made the excuse of "being busy" as your lifestyle. Either way, it is highly unlikely that you will change. And the truth is that you prefer to say that you are too busy instead of telling people that you are not really interested, that you will not do what they are asking you, etc. What are you avoiding to confront?
This point extends to family: how many times have you said that you don't have time to be with your children, wife or husband? Now you have plenty of time! There are no excuses during the weekend or after finish working. So the question is: do you have time to be with your family or do you use the excuse of being busy for not to? And if the answer is the latter, ask yourself why. Because lack of time is an excuse for lack of interest. Yes, confinement is pushing us to face our real lives... and reveal who we really are.
If from confinement we don't learn to be better people... I really don't know what else we need to do it. And this is just a couple of lessons from what we can learn.
It is time to fix our life: to order and balance it. Take control of who we are; appreciate life. And hopefully, whether we're still in confinement or not, we'll wake up smiling every day ... just because we are alive and happy.
RSS Feed