To be happy
It seems to be increasingly difficult to be happy or peaceful when, lately, lots of things seem to be happening to us, and “out of the blue”: at the end of a bruising and politically divisive three years, on 31st January, 2020, the UK finally left the EU. After the flags had finally been re-arranged following the end of the final – final – extension period, full-page adverts placed by the UK government appeared in newspapers to remind the few of us who might have forgotten, that, “The UK has now left the European Union”. Good to know that, in the face of gloomy post-Brexit forecasts, revenues were being well deployed.
At the same time, at the end of last year, new headlines were appearing indicating the origins of coronavirus in Wuhan and speculating wildly about its causes, spread, and likely mortality rates. I watched the news and tracking reports with fascinated alarm, as one would watch the approach of a tornado following a clear path and bound, at some point, to pass nearby. By now we are beginning to realise that we don’t need a direct hit, for life to change utterly.
If there is any good news to be had out of recent events, it could be that, in the face of a growing climate emergency, the natural world has the chance to recover some ground. We also have the opportunity to reassess what really matters to us, and to work co-operatively to find sensible, practical and compassionate outcomes that include us all. Increasingly I see that working together need not be difficult, but can be immensely rewarding, both for the unexpected joy we uncover and because in working together we are more open to sharing and being inspired by new and interesting possibilities.
By finding solutions that include everyone – it is interesting, for example, that the emergence of Covid-19 in the USA has finally forced the political concession that everyone who needs it can get tested, and everyone in need can get treated – finally, we may see the beginnings of a recognition that effective solutions are, and have to be, inclusive. “Value” is not just about the stock markets or the size of our wallets.
I’m going to be taking a break for a while. It’s a time for reassessment and reflection. More than ever, we need to listen to each other, avoid jumping to conclusions and try to stay healthy, cheerful and optimistic.
Thanks for listening.
Please share:
March 14, 2020 @ 2:20 am
Seems very sad and alarming. More than being or researching for being happy, looks like we are in need of sitting down and try and seek a friend. No, not for the world. That is far off. But for putting out this disorder.
Thank you for your post.
March 14, 2020 @ 12:53 pm
Dear Wadjih, thank you so much for reading my blog and for commenting. I really appreciate your thoughts. Yes, we have to start with what we can do, now, to make a difference. And that is all we can do. Bless you! 🙂
March 18, 2020 @ 7:21 pm
Dear Fran,
This crisis is showing us (here in the USA), if we’re willing to look, how much we’ve strayed from our foundational values. In some ways, we’ve NEVER held to them Yet somehow a crisis brings out both the best and the worst in our leaders. Sadly, our President doesn’t understand how important it is to listen to experts. In addition, he seems almost unable to acknowledge and own missteps he has taken that have made it worse. I think we’re going to pay a very high price. The promised tests are finally being rolled out, though not nearly enough to get the job done. In addition, it still pays to be high on the ladder of political and monetary means. Well…having said that, I’m hoping we’ll come through this stronger and healthier as a nation than we’ve been in the last several decades. It’s humbling for many to admit we’re just like other nations.
Enough already! Thanks for listening….and hugs galore to you! 🙂
March 19, 2020 @ 8:16 am
Dear Elouise
There is so much to think about, isn’t there? And the social and political ramifications keep coming! If we can’t go out and do things like shop and eat out and go to work, do we earn? And if we don’t earn, can we spend? If not, whole sectors of the economy will be put in cold storage, though I don’t see this as a permanent problem, but one we have to weather for the next six months… Maybe a year.
The shift in our priorities – so that everyone can source the basic dignities – is long overdue; and something as seemingly insignificant as a virus has highlighted for me, just how far we have moved away from the important things in governance: ensuring basic dignity for all, and empowering our citizens instead of making them feel small and unimportant. I don’t have a lot of time for republican philosophy, but Mitt Romney was right on the money when he said he took his oath of office seriously!
Enough already… Thanks for listening, too, and loads of hugs crossing the pond. Xxx