It Isn’t Over Yet! How Generosity Can Help You Find Your Purpose In Uncertainty.
“Don’t allow your wounds to turn you into a person you are not” ~ Paulo Coelho
It’s a Monday morning on a cool July morning in Queensland, Australia. As I compile this article, Victoria - my home state, has just recorded it’s highest amount of Covid cases to date, and people are becoming increasingly agitated. I don’t watch the news. I don’t have to. I only need to speak to family and friends to feel the impact and empathise with the confusion and resentment they are facing.
It’s not an easy road. Rights are slowly being erased - for many in Australia, the land of the free is rapidly becoming four walls and and an escalating stack of questionable rules, restrictions and regulations.
We are slowly climbing to numbers seen in other countries thus far and suddenly, our island nation is feeling the brunt of the pandemic. Being unable to plan squashes hope and can lead to a feeling of helplessness.
Too much uncertainty leaves individuals floundering in a hazy, subjective space. Couple this with prolonged isolation and you have the beginnings of a downward spiral being experienced by many. Mental Health issues are skyrocketing. Nobody is exempt. Not even you. Humans need physical and social contact. It is a basic need and one that is unattainable for many isolated citizens in lockdown.
The chaos is not over and it is not going to disappear overnight!
So how do we mitigate the consistent stream of emotionally sensitive content that infiltrates our sacred spaces; the heartfelt cries from the poorer nations, the planned riots for social justice, the anger outbursts stemming from being cooped up, and the inability to see and touch loved ones in the foreseeable future?
We give!
It is kindness that creates a ripple of happiness that is highly contagious!
We discover ways to spark a little joy into the lives of others and ultimately, we free ourselves from our limited, subjective reality. We start to see a new perspective, and with this new perspective, we open our minds and hearts to a new way of consciousness. There’s a multitude of ways we can feel uplifted.
I’ve highlighted a few ideas that are simple to implement and easily integrated into family routines:
· Set a time each day to connect with a friend or loved one in lockdown. There are new and fun ways to socially connect; they’re free and it’s never been easier.
· Find a pen friend for you and your family. Let your children expand their vision and mentor a student overseas.
· Join an online charity organisation or global campaign. Offer your knowledge or support. We all have a gift we can share even if it is just listening or sharing conversations.
· Donate. I have challenged myself to donate to one charity a week until the end of the year. I’m up to 3 in the past week! It costs a cup of coffee or two.
· Offer to mentor others in your local community. Call up a senior citizen or vulnerable person every few days and ask “Are you ok?”
It really doesn’t take much to find meaning in life. I soul-searched for decades to determine my why until I realised that small actions add up to a life of purpose and fulfillment. We all need social cohesion. It can be a family affair, or if you’re alone, you may find new friends online who align with your ideologies.
You can lie with your excuses; justify your woeful existence and watch some more Netflix, or you can start today and search for ideas; you may just discover your own mission!
There’s hundreds of creative things we can all do and like minds to engage with. It will never be the same world, however, we can all contribute to a new way of thinking and participate in the new wave of altruism and generosity.
