I have been resisting writing about the corona virus. Hoping not to give it more importance and energy than it is already getting. Not to say we are not taking the necessary precautions. We are, but I don’t see a point in joining in the panic.

My guru, Sri Sri, always has an appropriate story for any situation and the way he says it, I always remember them.

Today I am reminded about a story he told us about Gandhiji

Once gandhiji was going by train from one place to another. He was with his secretary to whom he was dictating letters. Suddenly the train started jerking violently and felt like it would de-rail. There was commotion and panic all across the train, and people were scared for their lives. In the midst of all this Gandhiji kept on dictating letters to his secretary and the secretary said, Gandhiji, here we are scared for our life and yet you want to dictate letters. What is the point of it if we all die?

And Gandhiji said – if we die, we will, we won’t be able to stop that. But if we don’t, at least we would not have wasted this time.

We have this opportunity today, forced by nature to slow down and really come face to face with ourselves and our reality.

We usually find one way or the other to feel worried about something. We find something to keep us going on the hamsters’ wheel, to stress us and not live a life that is mindful. Kids, parents, lovers, bosses, friends, colleagues. As we meet more people, our energies play off each other and give us reasons to be more stimulated. Now when we are meeting as less as possible, I think it is a great time to finally meet ourselves. Really understand who we are and what we really want from life.

As we socially distance ourselves, we can get closer to ourselves.

1)     Read a book
2)     Watch a funny movie
3)     Spend time with your kids – I mean really spend time, tell them stories from your childhood. Do jigsaw puzzles together, ask them what they think about what’s going on in the world, do creative things like art, craft, rock painting, table mat making, cooking. Without you needing to scream at them to hurry up for school, homework and class, there will be so much space to just BE. Just enjoy each other’s company.
4)     Spend time with yourself – write a journal, start writing the book you always wanted to write, start recording the audio’s and videos you always wanted to. Sort your content, organise your computer
5)     Get your accounts up to date
6)     Clean your cupboard, declutter
7)     Sleep without an alarm
8)     Talk to your spouse beyond home management. Really talk about your dreams, your choices, your
relationship
9)     Do an indoor activity with your parents, carrom, Ludo, business, monopoly, life, snakes and ladders.
10)  Play a sport in your compound. – badminton, tennis, football, catch (avoid touching each other too much)
11)  Make a new dish
12)  Watch the birds go about their business
This doesn’t have to be a stressful time, in spite of the precautions you take, if you get it you do. But if you don’t,
when you look back at this time, maybe you will get a smile on your face as you think of all the blessings this time
bore for you.