COVID-19 and Change
"We are beings of habit. Without a doubt, we live in the comfort of familiarity. It makes everything so much more easier to live in a routine. Yet life is not only about constancy. We need to change according to the changing world."
Like a truck slamming you in the middle of sidewalk change comes knocking on the door. COVID-19 came with a bam, then isolation and now loosening of the lock-down. Of course there was tell-tail signs. Yet, like everything else, we normal people choose to ignore it. It is what we do. We look up at tragedy of Civil wars or starvation. We pity those mentioned in the news headlines one day. Then, live our life as usual another. It is the nature which we cannot undo and we are powerless to bring big changes ourselves. Only when it has effects to our personal world and thereby "us" then we take steps to adjust our personal space to adapt to the inevitable change.
With the prolonged social isolation, we have changed the way we do things. We needed to do so and have adjusted accordingly. Social distancing, masks, virtual learning are some of the changes. We have started to greet each other without touching as far as possible. We have started to to keep distance from 1-2 meters while moving outdoors. We need to use hand wash while entering public buildings like banks. There are pro and cons with such changes.
Travel generally outside national borders are few and far-between. Thus, countries dependent in tourism and remittance like Nepal and neighboring country India is hit hard. Both of these are the sectors which our country is highly economically dependent. And with return of Nepalese from foreign employment including the expected tourists in coming tourist season, it truly poses challenge to the existing health system of Nepal. Prior to the COVID, Nepalese health system was in poor state and still is. Will it be able to handle the possible cases with the influx of people with high possibility of exposure? With focus on the COVID cases, are health cases which are equally dangerous to the human health sidelined? There is much to discuss.
There were protests during pre and post July 2020. Youths without political affiliations, concerned by the slow and ineffective response of government towards the pandemic gathered together in number of cities around the country. Amid the so-called lockdown, it took lot of media attention. Lack of political leadership was evident. Indeed it shows how alienated the political parties when the concern for the public well-being is questioned. Other than that there was 12 days hunger strike ending after 12 point deals between youths and government. It took 12 days to finally get the government to take the issue seriously. There are many such cases to prove the existing political system needs horizontal and vertical change from the costly, inefficient and corrupted bureaucracy to the short-lived governments that comes into power.
Though there was rare solidarity in case of Indian border dispute, powerlessness of government while dealing subsequent and pre-border disputes with both neighboring countries one after another is evident. Show of ignorance by Indian government to the diplomatic notes of Nepalese government. Biased(Nepal-China) rumors spread by several Indian media to alienate historical friendship between Indian and Nepalese community. The prime minister's unconstrained quotations have further provided materials for several biased and rumor hungry Indian media outlets. The case of Chinese Ambassador and Prime minister fabricated by Zee news had resulted to the ban of Indian cables in Nepal. Despite the following action by Nepalese government, the truth is evident, all these are outcomes of already weakening system that exists.
Major changes have occurred in the world stage. The diplomatic and economic relationship between China and USA have been worsening. Exit of USA from WHO, fall of oil prices (20 years low- below zero) extradition bill introduced in Hongkong, border issues by the giant neighbors of Nepal (India-China) with neighboring countries, Tiktok ban (India/USA), Bollywood scandal (Nepotism issue), Black Lives Matter Movement (USA and around the globe), Layoff (Unemployment) Anti-Lockdown movements (ongoing Berlin) and so on are some major examples.
These are all the macro scale changes wherein normal individual can do nothing to change. We can only adapt. In the micro scale, we have realized the importance of health. Yoga, meditation, mental and physical health are getting popular. Besides that use of online tools for communication, education, work, workshops, religion, etc have been widely used both professionally and personally. We have been able to enjoy our time with family, pursue hobbies, improve culinary skills, enjoy self-love and many other things including cleaner-beautiful environment. Along with social initiatives have taken another turn. People have started to be kinder to those who are less privileged. Those who do labor and have limited income are helped by multiple individuals and non profit organization with food, clothing and shelter. Yet, it is not sustainable in long-term. How long can someone keep on helping another? This requires a more organizational effort to create employment with safety in place.
Personally, due to the pandemic some of our bad habits have recurred. Thus to improve oneself one need to understand its nature and then change it. Habits are those behaviors we tend to repeat over and over again. It is automatic in nature and thereby difficult to change. If it works immediately, it is warmly embraced by the mind. Yet quick-fix will work only so far for some situations. What it requires is hard-work and consistency. Habits are natural instinct of any living and yet as we mature with age we realize we need to change. The mind needs to be tricked to let go of things that feel good. Rationalizing only helps so far, it requires effort and practice. Waking up late is easier for many so is binge eating. Yet both of these wastes time and health. Thus, this rationalization cannot stop you from taking nap for a minute more or eat another piece of junk. It requires a will. We need to form new habits that align with the reality we live in.
Change is definitely difficult like everything else in life. Difficulty does not mean it is impossible. We need the knowledge to do so and then action, action and action. Action speaks louder than words! We could change small things personally or within a family/friend circle. This change can lead to change to another and another then in macro scale. To adapt and bring change to the world, we need to start change from the self. Imposing one's own view on other, the hard approach may work out for short term. But soft approach is also equally important. Self-discipline for change in personal and soft approach for external can be the way.
Prior to that, it is utmost importance to change the self. The world we experience is subjective, and thereby changes needs to be subjective. Based on the feedback of our action, we could improve daily. Change is sustainable when the need to do so is long-lasting. Self improvement, lifelong learning, gratitude (happiness) and such can be reasons for change. To what end? Of course for well-being and happiness. Why should I change? I am good the way I am. It is of course the ego speaking and also it is necessary that drastic changes can be far harmful than steady and need-basis changes. Change is only means to an end. We change so that we could better ourselves, and by bettering ourselves we achieve the goals we set.
Balance between change and staying authentic can lead to sound health be it mind and body. Sound health is the platform for lasting and meaningful change to take place. And thereby such change becomes positive motivation and reinforcement for us to adapt to the major changes beyond our control. We can realign our goals and aspiration based on the changing reality. We could suffer for now for better future. Thus, we can be more than clever, we can be wiser. Rather than first changing the world, why not change yourself?
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
― Rumi
Reference:
https://theconversation.com/one-metre-or-two-the-science-behind-social-distancing-139929
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