What good can come from this virus? It is not a desire for positivity that drives me to write this. COVID-19 is killing people, killing economies, and throwing our globe into a shared state of grief. Some of us have to much time to cope and others have no time to feel. Instead, they must act and act bravely. Even for those who have time available, bravery and patience is asked of them too.
We are birthing together a specific time in history. This could be the birth of another “greatest generation”. The generation that grew up through the great depression and then went on to face WW2 became known (through Tom Brokaw’s book) as the greatest generation.
How might we, together, on this planet become the One great generation? This virus has reminded us that we are not separate. We are not physically, emotionally, mentally or humanly separate. This wispy virus has settled across our entire planet and moved rapidly without regard of borders, class, gender, or race. Like a ghost it moves through all barriers and brings us to the awareness – we are One.
There is no enemy to slay, no secret lair to find, no code to read. The opposite is true – in this situation – transparency, openness, shared responsibility and the interdependence of everyone on the other is required to cease the progress of this killer.
In this shared state of health – I need to be responsible and unselfish (whether I have symptoms or not). We all need the poorest communities to have clean water and the opportunity for basic hygiene. In all countries there are people so desperate for food – that risks must be taken to survive. None of us want to see our global or next-door neighbors left like sitting ducks with no chance of the basics to even try to be healthy. Oh souls, my brothers and sisters – has this not long been the case but it did not grab our awareness as it does now. It was only when we shared the same fate – that some of us, for the first time are seeing this truth. This truth that has been there all along. We are One.
It is important to acknowledge these situations without losing energy in judgement or beating each other up. There is only room for One combined energy to move forward. Anything that distracts from the purpose of helping one another now – is a waste of precious time.
As a global society we have benefited for some time at the expense of others. There is no need to lay it all out in detail, sadly we know. Our cheap goods were built with underpaid labor, child labor, slave labor, or in conditions that were not safe. Not only did we ravage each other, we ravaged the earth. Corporations became kings and we are all peasants. We let that happen. Greed stole the greatness of capitalism, and we never addressed the balance of privilege and poverty. We were not acting as stewards of the earth but have continuously focused on taking its resources. It is not that people are awful – we forgot our personal power. Our native and individual abilities are stronger than any government, belief or judgement – when we operate as One. Regret or revenge should not steal the power we could harness together.
If we take this balancing awareness of life and death and this global economic crash that is affecting each person, each household, each economy, each government – we could become the One great generation. We can harness the shared experience.
How can we become this One great generation? We must individually answer this call and as we do, we will move as One.
What might a generation of people across the globe achieve if they used this current situation to:
- Face our personal fears of mortality and understand ourselves more deeply. Cherish every life as equal
- Gathered the data on the benefits quickly gained around climate change and applied those learnings to our lives moving forward
- Decided to work together to address clean water and hunger across the planet
- Worked unselfishly to support one another’s health and wellness
- Assessed our leader’s abilities, compassion and skills – instead of basing votes on ads and agendas
- Brought depth to local business economies, farming, and manufacturing
- Addressed corporate greed and offshore accounts that hide corporate or personal funds
- Recognized the importance of every person and their essential work – no matter the type of job
- Appreciated the bravery of our health care workers, grocery workers, field labor, food plant workers, delivery drivers, funeral parlors and so on – appreciated every worker for the job they do well
- Understand our shared economy and shared joblessness – and face the fear of having no income and what that means very quickly to our survivals
- Globally grieve the death and loss of life, not just related to COVID19 – but senseless war and hunger
- Deal with the loss of identity around money and how it contributed to our thoughts of who we are or are not without it. As well, our perceptions of others who have money or do not
- Become aware of run-away thoughts which pursue fear and worry. Retraining our mental functions for creativity
- Use every political influence and cut off every dollar that funds war
- Accepted that we are ONE and all life is precious
There does not need to be a single leader to show us the way. In fact, we have learned nothing if we waited on that idea. The strength and power centers in each individual acting as One. If we use our voting power, our purchasing power, our time, our intuition, our innovation, our conscious efforts to influence and take personal actions for a healthy society – we can all lead. We may not all have purchasing power right now, but it was never our true worth or value. We can still contribute to the change – in fact, those of us in this position are the most critical to it. Yes, we are the most critical mental, emotional, and conscious changing part of the equation. Those of us who are facing the loss of job and the fears associated with that combined with the fear of catching COVID, we are the closest to front line of this change. We are painfully recognizing we are more than our fear, than our paycheck, and we can see that all persons should not fear the cost of going to the doctor. We are the ones in the trenches – overcoming our fear and recognizing our value and who we are beyond these elements. That will change how we see ourselves and the world. Our leaders are reflections of our own state of being. Currently, leadership panders to the differences between us, our fears, and our sense of lack. Leadership changes as we change. If we operate with our shared sameness and step away from the fear of lack, then there will be enough. We can have a nice car and a lovely home and still help our neighbor. If you do not have funds – you can still be a friend and help society move its mental state away from money as the only source of happiness or freedom or value. It is not about having less, it is about sharing more. If you have funds to share – great – if you do not – then share the truth of who you are regardless of what you have. That is worth more than money. If we develop that perspective, we will have founded the launch of the One great generation. We need every capable mind to do it and it starts with those who are uncomfortable right now. I am not talking about a resistance fueled by anger. I am not even saying resistance. Let the fear, frustration, and anger channel new discovery and challenge your ways of thinking about yourself and others. Looking and choosing who we are in the face of overwhelming adversity. Which leads to awareness of your own value – outside of any label that used to differentiate you or make you special. Then, from a clear understanding of who you are and the value of your neighbor regardless of their labels, we move to a deeper state of choice. How am I personally as a human being on this planet, how do I want to treat myself and others. What ways of being are outdated or irrelevant? What ways of leadership no longer qualify as useful? What are the thoughtful choices in how we each treat one another? What are the thoughtful choices in government for all label free, valuable human beings?
America was built on freedom for all, the opportunity to live freely – and those involved in this shift of culture were not separate – they were working people and came together as One. They sacrificed, they shared, and they gave their life for a better way. They also slaughtered another culture and enslaved others. All of these aspects are true. Our founding documents were written with the capacity to evolve. As it was written that all men were created equal, though this was less extensive at first, we grew into a fuller expression of that truth. And as our culture continues to recognize its limiting views – those documents continued to expand.
There is enough and we are enough. We do not have to have it all perfectly laid out and figured out to make progress. Each individual decision and action plants the seeds, paves the road, establishes the structure and architecture of an abundant earth. The sun is abundant, the earth is naturally abundant and forgiving. It is only our previous actions that promote lack.
We cannot fix the past, but we can create a better future. We all can afford to sacrifice something and that includes our anger, our hate, and our fear. Is that really a sacrifice? We are also called to sacrifice parts of our identity. Who are we when we do not have a job? Who are we when we do not have the funds to help others financially? Who are we when we receive rather than give? Who are we when peel off the layers of who we thought we were? Perhaps it is time to let go of those feelings of rightness, those comforts of identity and go for the opportunity of a lifetime. The opportunity of lifetimes if we can see that it builds on our history and humanity.
History only repeats itself if we learn nothing. There is enough and you are enough. With or without dollars you can still support, love and act. You are enough – you are real and alive and contribute regardless of what you make, your job title or what you own. This is the hardest sacrifice – our identity. But when we know this of ourselves, then we know this of our fellow humans, and we rise to a more humane – a more human perspective.
Could there be a greater generation? Can we do this? What innovation could rapidly come if we open to the opportunity of the good that can come from the lessons of COVID19. The good in each of us working together regardless of how we have hurt one another, regardless of our social status, regardless of how we used to see ourselves. Can we drop our judgements, our shame, our retribution, our hate, our fear, our precious identities? COVID19 has reminded us that we are One. We are inherently the same and rather than returning to as it was – let us learn, rise, and be who we really are – the One Great Generation.