Every morning, I wake up and watch the world crumble a
little further on CNN and BBC. The news of escalating cases and deaths is
necessary yet deeply depressing information.
It is also a reminder of how out of sorts we are, as a
generation in dealing with the scare of this virus. I call it scare because for
a majority of us, it will remain that. Only an unfortunate few will actually
experience the virus and an even fewer set will actually succumb to it. But the
scare of it reaching us and our families is real. It is the cloud that now sits
uncomfortably on top of our head and the haze that you expect to see when you
open that front door of your home to look out at whether the world has gotten
better.
There is nothing that I, as an individual can add which is
of tangible value, even if I’d desperately like to. I am not a medical
professional, my wealth is not large enough to positively influence the lives
of people and my skill set as a
professional is not directly transferrable to assist any members of the
frontline. So as a fellow human, I feel helpless.
The contribution that I will choose to make is around a
concept that I have a little more experience than some others – which is around
emotional resilience. Losing loved ones often in the last 10 years, living
alone for large parts has taught me an essential life skill around being
resilient and surviving. There are things that I have done and practiced in
those times that have allowed for me to keep my head above the water, sometimes
barely.
So my contributions that I will share everyday will be
around the concept of resilience – of seeing it through and getting to the
other side; emotionally. While physical survival is an immediate CoVid concern,
self quarantining and its related downsides of loneliness, space, feeling of
helplessness, job secrurity-related worries, cash flow concerns, the daily
struggle to get the right groceries, the inability to stay healthy due to lack
of exercise, the unavoidable need to do more house chores are all current
realities that could build emotional stress.
Emotional stress and instability usually lead to bad
short-term decisions and could open up a Pandora’s box inside one’s head that
you are simply not prepared to face up to. I should know since I have been
there a few times. The impact of everyday loneliness in my life a few years
back was telling and I wish that no one I know has to go through that, if I can
help avoid it.
And so, through this period; I will write and share some
things that I repeat in my head and/or practice in times when I feel out of
control or depth. The things that hold me up and help me push through.
The first - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4SKcrV2_RY
This is a video of Micheal Clarke’s eulogy for late Aussie
cricketer, Phil Hughes, who tragically and suddenly passed away on the cricket
field in end 2014. It was an incredibly tough moment for Australian cricket and
the then captain and one of his best, Michael had to do the eulogy.
At sec 1:50; he says something about Phil’s attitude to
handling a tough phase in a test match – “Let’s
dig in and get through to tea”.
It stuck with me, as a metaphor for getting through tough
times. In cricket parlance, that means that you put away all your flashy
drives, you block all the balls out, respect the conditions, protect your
wicket. So you stay alive to come back and play in the session after tea.
In tough times like these, that’s life. Put away our natural
instincts to be social. Live one day at a time. Respect the conditions in that
the threat of the virus is real. Protect your wicket in that do everything
needed to just survive.
Because there will be a session after. When we can hit the
ball with gay abandon. But for now, let’s get through to tea.
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