While we have all been in lock down over the past several months, much has been happening in the world that merits reflection. How has the world changed as a result of this crisis? Has anything positive come out of this situation? The answer appears to be yes in certain segments. For example, nature has had an opportunity to recover from the heavy burn placed by our high consumption lifestyles, which have been drastically curtailed by the virus. We are now beginning to see dolphins swimming freely in our marinas and shorelines, like never before. The carbon emissions from our energy-intensive travels and resource consumption demands have dropped significantly. As a result, the ozone layer that protects the earth, has been restored to more robust levels. The quality of our air and water has also begun to improve as a result of reduced pollution. Therefore, the COVID crisis has delivered some positive outcomes for us and our future generations, especially with respect to the environment.
On the other hand, we have all had to endure significant economic hardship, as well as increased health challenges from our stressed health care infrastructure. The virus has claimed numerous lives and continues to pose an on-going risk. It may be worth asking the question, “What does the future hold for us? It is possible that over time, medications for treatment of COVID 19 and vaccinations will emerge that may help put this pandemic behind us. Like SARS and other pandemics, viruses are known to ultimately soften in their impact as a result of improved health care and new lifestyles that will emerge with respect to hygiene, health consciousness and greater use of technologies that enable increased efficiencies. Humanity has been blessed with an incredible capacity to adapt itself to natural and human-made challenges, such as wars, pandemics and more. If it were not for this blessing, we as a civilisation would have ceased to exist a long time ago.
The power of Hope is an essential pillar of our strength that has carried us throughout our challenging history. This hope is derived from a universal belief that each one of us is loved, protected and cared for by our Source. We may all perceive our Source differently based on our personal beliefs. Another fundamental pillar of strength we have been blessed with is our power of thought through which we are constantly able to derive solutions to our challenges. In this regard, meditation is an important avenue though which we can channel this power of thought to achieve wellbeing and broaden our understanding of our life’s journey, both materially and spiritually.
