It’s Friday April 3rd, 2020. In my country, we have entered the second phase of the lockdown. Greater restrictions have been imposed this time. The military has been deployed to assist in what it’s called the Movement Control Order (MCO) in my country in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus.
A trip to the supermarket has been a challenge. We have to queue up for temperature checks and wear face masks before being allowed in for grocery shopping. The people who are allowed into the supermarket, well they aren’t enjoying their shopping experience either. This is something (among other things) I guess we all have to learn to adapt these days.
During the first wave of the pandemic, China was the first country to bear the brunt of the coronavirus impact. I was constantly checking the news, curious to learn how the Chinese dealt with the virus situation. But lately, the media seems to be painting a bleak outlook on how things may turn up to be. Besides the virus, fake news are also spreading on social media giving rise to fear and misinformation.
We are all feeling the impact and I guess our lives and livelihoods may never be the same again after this. As for me, I wish that we will never go back to normal.
I Want A Better World…I Hope You Do Too
I’m trying hard to keep my mind off worries, fears and negative news during the lockdown period but photos, videos and information related the pandemic keep popping up. When they do, I can’t help but watch them.
They are mostly harrowing stories and they moved me to tears. That’s where most of my breakdowns came from. But moments like this tend to bring on self-reflection. It gave me an opportunity to contemplate — why don’t we turn this global shocking experience into something good?
We may not know how to achieve that yet considering the fact that we’re all currently struggling, suffering and self-isolating. But imagine, just imagine; living in a world where we can learn to co-exist, use resources responsibly and share it with other living beings. A world free from pollution, war, violence, discrimination, hate, stigmatization and of course outbreaks and pandemics. Imagine claiming this liberty back.
I came across a video on YouTube of an Italian guy playing the song Imagine on his trumpet while self-isolating. He inspired me to create this video. The lyrics from John Lennon’s song has a much deeper meaning to me now. I’m dedicating it to you.
Let’s Start Now
It takes tremendous amount of strength, determination, courage and conviction to achieve this audacious goal. But looking at the serious global consequence the coronavirus pandemic has caused, going back to normal means we will be tempted to repeating the mistakes we’ve made. I prefer to stick to the former and create a new normal. I hope you will too because it’s the right thing to do. Creating a positive change upon this world is long term but urgent; it’s something we have to do.
Don’t let this pandemic paralyze us into a state of learned-helplessness. We are now given the gift of time. Let’s make the most of it to start a new positive chain of reaction. And yes we can do this while confined in our homes. Although our contributions or influence may seem relatively small at the moment, but it’s all the little steps that stack up to high impact.
“Anything worth doing cannot be done alone.”
Let’s continue our efforts to help one another spiritually, emotionally, or in our own creative ways. And while you have the time, I highly recommend that you watch this movie. Then seriously ponder on what you have learned after watching it.
My heart goes out to the people who have lost their lives due to the virus, their families and loved ones. My thoughts and prayers are with you. To the patients who are fighting the COVID-19 virus, my thoughts and prayers are with you as well. I urge that you do not give up in this fight. As long as you don’t give up, you will prevail over the virus.
To those who are caring for others and fighting on the front line, I thank you profoundly for your incredible service. We’re with you and will keep fighting alongside you.
I’m grateful to God for keeping me and my family safe and well. To all of you who have sent me well wishes through emails and direct messages, thank you so much! Your letters have been my source of motivation and inspiration to keep moving forward and stay strong everyday. From Australia to Korea, Russia to India, Spain, the UK, and US, I’m happy to learn that you’re all doing well and doing all you can to keep your spirits high.
The pandemic will end and surely, we can thrive post coronavirus. But I believe we can thrive better if we pay attention to our values. I leave you with a special message…because you matter!
