A new life, a new normal

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. We were more relaxed yet we were all on edge. We waited with baited breath for each news bulletin, listening to the same information over and over again. It was just the same but we wanted it to be different. We were in limbo, and at times felt guilty because there was a lot we were enjoying about it. Terrible things were happening all over the world, and in our own country, yet there was so much good as well. Everybody smiled and said Hello as you passed them on a walk. The sun shone and the sea glistened, and children played happily with their families. We couldn’t see our friends, but we could spend time at home with our loved ones. When would things go back to normal? Could things go back to normal? We really wanted to get back to normal! It’s okay, we’ve had enough now, time to get back to normal.
But what will the new normal be? And do we really want to go back to the old normal or is it time to make a change. It’s time to take a look at what used to be normal and measure it up against what we accepted and what we wanted. How many times did you wish that the world would just stop, slow down even. Our weeks blended into months that turned into years. Was there really still a full 24 hours in a day, it all seemed so short, so rushed. And then the world did stop, and things changed so quickly, so drastically.
And now we are at a turning point, we have a chance to make a different normal, a better normal. But how do you do that? By taking the time to look at what you lost and what you gained. What do you want, what don’t you want? What could you do differently? A lot of the time we go around in automatic pilot, trudging along, doing the same things over and over again, behaving in the same ways whether it’s good for us or not. It’s just a habit, a recurrent behaviour. We behave the way we do, not because it’s what we want, but it’s the way we always did. And time passes and nothing changes. How could it? Afterall, if you always do what you always did, you’re always going to get what you always got. So do something different.
For many of us, it’s been a very long time since we stopped and reviewed our goals, our outcomes, where we are and where we want to be. This is a great chance to take a long, hard look at how we were living and if it was the best way for us and for our loved ones. A time to think and a time to dream. What way do you want your life to go from now on? What needs to change, and what are you willing to change? Just because it’s what you always did is not an answer anymore, it’s an excuse. And we only really need excuses when we’re on the back foot, in the wrong. There were so many things you wanted to do but didn’t have the time to. Now you have the time. What choices will you make? What will you make time for in your new normal? What will stay, what will go? What can you live with and what can’t you live without? Because through these months of both the worst and the best of times, we have been given a chance for clear vision, for hindsight. We have an opportunity to challenge and change what is wrong for us and chose what is right. We stepped out of the rat race, we did things differently. Be careful when you step back onto normal that you are aware and conscious of what made and makes your life better, so you don’t fall back into old mistakes, old habits, and go back to a life on automatic pilot.