I can’t believe it’s already mid-april. The sun is shining, the days are getting longer and warmer and the trees and flowers are blossoming. When I sit in my garden or go for a walk in the forest, the nature is so quiet and loud and beautifully painful. You wouldn’t think the world is going through a huge crisis. It is frightening to think about what the future will hold. We will at a certain get back to “normal”, but how normal will it be? What will be the long term consequences of a few months of total lockdown? What are we going to do to prevent another crisis and what will be the consequences for our privacy, how are we going to manage financial security? The whole world is stuck, and being stuck only frees our minds, that go into a spiral of unstoppable thoughts. Still, how lucky are we to have gardens and be allowed outside?
However, this time is also a great opportunity. I try to not stand still and fall into harmful habits. If there is something beautiful about humans it is the possibility to fight, to make the best of a situation and better ourselves. And by saying this, I don’t mean we should change our whole lifestyle in a few days. More time at home is great to take up a new hobby, improve our health and sleep patterns but it always sounds easier than it is. You don’t have to take Shakespeare as an example, who wrote King Lear while being in quarantaine. I felt like this was my opportunity to write a book, which I have always wanted. And of course, I still haven’t filled a page. Months ago, I set a goal to prepare for a master’s degree and of course, my motivation letter is not yet finished. The deadline is approaching faster and faster and I am truly stressing out. While I know I want to do this master, it also frightens me, which is probably the reason I haven’t sent my application yet. I am however slowly reading books, playing more piano and practicing dance moves. And that is enough. People out there may be struggling with mental health or other issues, and comparing ourselves with successful authors or artists won’t help us get anywhere. I realized that reading one page a day is already an improvement. The most important thing is the path on the way to the goal we set for ourselves, not the goal itself.
Ironically, I am working way more than before the lockdown, as on top of my current job, my internship started just 2 days before we had to stay at home. It is a pity we can’t go to the office anymore and have lunches and breaks together, but I am truly enjoying the work. I have the luck to be working with an amazing and passionate team and getting satisfaction out of the work.
I realize how lucky I am to be able to work from home for both my jobs.
Maybe this column was a bit too negative, but those are things we all need to think about. For a bit more positivity, keep an eye on the website, as this week all of the website committee will share the best initiatives out there to help us cope with the situation!
Good luck and love to all <3 I cannot wait to see you in person again and give free hugs.
Paula
