As kids, Mom would step in when my siblings and I went ‘too far’.
“It doesn’t matter who started it…
… sort it out. Or I will.”
Of course, Mom would give plenty of warning. The ‘glance’, the stare, that sigh. We landed up paying the price whenever blissfully… sometimes wilfully… ignored the signs.
Perhaps the same can be said for Mother Nature.
In recent memory from SARS, MERS, Zika, Ebola … to poverty, food-waste, coral bleaching and species attritions… the signs are obvious.
And it really doesn’t matter who started it.
What matters is what… YOU and I … are going to do from now on
Not WE.
WE is tempting. It sounds wonderfully collaborative. But there’s a dark-side.
WE dilutes accountability. Blurs in anonymity. Encourages complacency. Passes-the-buck.
And goes something like this…
“… our thoughts and prayers are with you”
“… someone else will do it?”
“… but there’s nothing much I can do,”
“… so-and-so will take care of it first,”
“… so I’ll just get to it later.”
For those in the frontlines – ‘later’ is now
Your thoughts and prayers?
Needs to be transformed into appropriate, measurable, meaningful action.
As Melinda Gates writes, ‘Your actions matter.’ Each and every individual needs to pull together.
Are you willing to coordinate together… to adapt your behaviours… to be considerate with the people around you?
If so, it starts by containing anxiety.
Containing boredom.
Containing the pursuit of novelty.
Working through the fears instead of diverting from them.
Else, someday, there will be a price to pay, no matter who started the mess.
You and I – must play our individual roles – to sort it out soon. How?
‘Small’ acts saves lives
From helping a neighbour…
… to having that ‘talk’ you’ve been putting-off…
… or ‘do that thing’ you’ve been holding back…
… consuming meaningfully.
‘Small’ acts add up. If by simply staying home, lives can be saved…
… imagine what other ‘small’ acts…. be it activism, volunteering or voting… can achieve?
There’s no better time to sort out ‘stuff’ out than now
Else, Mother Nature will sort it out for all of us.
Perhaps… in some way… has Mother Nature already done so?
Covid-19… could be her vaccine… her way… of containing a virus.
Us.
So, what about you?
How are you contributing?
What is that ‘small thing’ you’re going to do from now on?
Do share in the comment below.
Just don’t wait till it’s too late.
“On good teams coaches hold players accountable,
on great teams players hold players accountable”.
– Joe Dumars
Watch my video tribute to those in the frontline
About the Author
In 2004, Selena discovered she had cancer at 30. Since then, she’s been ‘sorting out her stuff’ – which has meant connecting within herself… creating well-being with Others… and contributing wholeheartedly in her work, relationships and life.
As a Leadership Advisor and Coach, she now works with individuals and institutions in transition to speed up time to success by releasing unconscious resistances (read what people say about working together).
As a CPA, an accredited Coach, as well as trained in the psychoanalytical approach to transformation and a meditation practitioner, she weaves corporate and experiential, Eastern and Western as well as ancient and modern approaches. Selena is also seasoned business executive having spent 20+ years in consulting, change management, HR and complex matrix organizations across five continents.
Originally from Malaysia, she and her French husband now call Zürich home.
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