In Taoist teachings, everything has a yin and a yang, a positive and a negative.
So, with Covid, I was thinking there just seemed to be more yin or negative than positive. But is that true?
At our Toastmasters meeting recently, we were discussing if we wanted to continue our meetings online with Zoom or return to in person meetings.
“How long have we been doing Zoom meetings? Since Covid, I kind of lost track of time” said April.
“How true!” I thought, nodding in agreement.
When the kids were young, school kept us on schedule. September was back to school. In the fall there was football. Spring, meant the boys were playing lacrosse. And summer time was when I didn’t have to pack their lunch.
But after the kids left home, time seemed to be kept by the clothes I wore and the food we enjoyed.
Since Covid, the days seem to mesh into each other. I seem to be wearing casual comfy clothes on most days if I don’t need to leave the house. And my meals have become more simple.
My timelines are fuzzy. How long have we been in lockdown? It all seems a blur to me. Was it one or two years?
At first I thought, ” how frightening to think how the days seem to be less distinctive. Being ‘trapped’ inside our homes has really been negative.”
But is it frightening? and is it negative?
Then I reminded myself of Taoist teachings. They say, life is like a forest. We are all searching for our own mountain. My mountain is different from your mountain. Each and every one of us has different purposes and goals. As we walk through the trees, we see between the trees and we look for our path. Where am I going? Where are you going?
I then realized that it wasn’t about how quickly we get to our destination. It’s about learning as we go, experiencing each step, back tracking if need be and trying to make better and wiser decisions.
I find that the positive side to the Covid pandemic is that it forced all of us to slow down. Being locked in the house and doing less does have benefits. It’s like the whole world put on brakes.
For me, slowing down has giving me time to work on myself. Time to reflect and think. I’m still in the forest, searching for my mountain. I often question myself, “is this the path I want to be on?”
