Remember in early March, or even January and February of 2020, catching whispers about Coronavirus and thinking it was yet another overhyped media story? That news outlets were once again turning something mostly benign into a sensationalized nightmare to get more clicks and more money?
I do! In fact, one week I was going to work, making my next laser hair removal appointment, planning a Spring weekend away, saying I wasn’t worried about the Coronavirus. The following week my work shut down, and I filed for unemployment for the first time in my life.
If this has taught us anything, it’s two things: Life can change FAST and things can spread across the globe even faster.
So what?
Nature imitates everything else in our world. Coronavirus can be a wake up call to remind us that our actions are always affecting others, even in the world over, even when it’s invisible.
You matter. Your choices, every single day, matter, and have a trickle down effect. Coronavirus spreads in multiples of three. So, for every one person carrying it (symptom free or not) they infect three more. Those three people go on to infect nine people, who then infect 27 people, and so on. The actions of a young, healthy person touching the wrong elevator button (or door handle) can have a snowball effect.
Coronavirus is something we can measure and test. Often, we can do this through “viral” online content as well, viewing shares, clicks, searches, etc. But how many other things are going viral that are not as apparent?
So many other things in our life we can’t measure the same way. Our spending habits, our words, our actions, compliments we give strangers, our reactions, the sharing of our gifts, our fashion choices, our recommendations, our support, our encouragement, our stories.
We are affecting others all the time with the words we say, the things we wear, and every single lifestyle choice we make. We are always affecting others, from the coffee shops we go to to where we buy our books, to the invitations we accept or decline. Our actions matter. You matter. We are insignificant, but we can have a major effect on other people. Coronavirus is a wake up call that we are not isolated, and we have the ability to make massive change, for better or for worse, and it’s time to step up to that responsibility.
One social media post can be reposted by another, one fashion trend copied by another. It gives new meaning to the word “viral.” NOTHING MATTERS BUT ACTUALLY IT ALL MATTERS.
During this uncertain time, and in all other uncertain times (which really, is all the damn time) we need to be mindful of our choices, because even though they are often insignificant, we never know which choice might be the one that “goes viral.”
Step Into Your Role
Let’s use this opportunity as a wake up call to commit to living with intention, seeing first hand how seemingly innocuous and insignificant decisions can have huge impact down the line.
What other insignificant actions in our lives might be doing the same thing?
From the products we buy to the companies we buy from, to our lifestyles and the amount of energy and waste we create, to the people we brush past, to the art we do or don’t share, our actions always have consequences, even on the other side of the world.
How can we choose to live more deliberately, more kindly, and with more INTENTION?
It is a small world. It is easy to drown out international news, and sometimes even necessary to focus on what is in front of you, in your community, your social groups, etc.
Let this be a reminder that we really are all connected, we really do have to listen to each other, and learn from each other. Our germs, our words, our choices, our vibrations, our actions, our fashion, our stories, our social media posts, can spread across the world.
Let us use this time for the greater good and to wake us up to the fact that our actions and choices do matter, so when you make them, mean them.