A New Normal
What is normal? For many of us, it is the sense that life is what we see and do each day, nothing extraordinary, nothing unusual, just is what we expect. When we have expectations of normalcy, it plays into our ego which is driven from fear. By being “normal”, we feel safer, we know what should happen. Our ego is always trying to find a way to keep us safe, coming from a place of fear. Our ego conditions us that we are a certain way, that fear drives our motives and our actions. And we believe we are that way, that life is a certain way.
We really aren’t this way, we have been conditioned to be this way and then life affirms we must be this way. For all of my years in Corporate America, I was conditioned to believe that I had to squelch my emotions, I couldn’t allow how I felt to be a part of anything. I was once asked if I chewed nails for breakfast because I was strong, blunt and sometimes too assertive. Of course if I was a man I would have been seen as a strong leader and a go-getter, but I won’t go there this time, that is for a different discussion! I was strong, blunt and assertive as I was conditioned to be that way. If I showed emotions I was labeled as weak. My ego then helped me to be tough, be strong, independent and assertive. That was my normal. But it wasn’t my true self. My true self is softer, more in touch with emotions, more focused on love than fear. I have only really realized that since I left corporate. I was conditioned to be a certain way in order to get things done, be in control and be in charge. That was my normal. There were expectations about how I would behave that I had to conform to to be successful in the corporate/man’s world.
What if this pandemic and this time in our history is so we realize we don’t need to come from a place of fear? That we aren’t in this thing called the world alone. We are all interconnected and we have to think about more than just us. We can’t continue to come at life from a place of fear, but more from a place of love and compassion. What if this is all so we can create a new normal? A normal that is filled with love for each other and our planet. A normal that isn’t about ideology and political beliefs but about human beings. A normal that says, “let’s not do things to destroy our planet just because it makes us money.” A normal that shows up as loving each other, being connected to each other, serving each other and helping each other instead of only worrying about us. If we did all of this, there would be toilet paper on the shelves because we wouldn’t hoard. We would know that there is plenty for everyone and we would want others to get what they need as well. We wouldn’t be focused on we have to have, we would focus on what the greater good needs.
Perhaps now is the time to give up our pettiness. Give up our expectations of ourselves and each other and be of love and service. Focus on the greater world, not just the impact to yourself. Create a new normal for yourself and spend more time connecting with those who raise your energy. Give up on those who no longer feel right. Create the boundaries that help you be your best self. Start to heal some of the things that we have buried and chosen to ignore versus feel and then heal.
Perhaps our new normal is about coming from a place of love and compassion versus fear. Perhaps we all get a start over button right now.
Be the new normal. Be of love.