I thought I might share with you notes from my journal this morning…
2nd April 2020
Well….! Nothing I wrote back in the beginning of this year could ever have pre…I was about to write “prepared me for what was about to hit the world” but it all has been preparing me perfectly.
What is more accurate is that when I wrote those words in my journal back in January I could never have imagined what was about to unfold on the world stage.
This is my understanding of what then happened (please note that figures and dates are for relativity purposes only and should not be relied upon for 100% accuracy).
Coronavirus or Covid-19 started in Wuhan, China and the first cases were reported on 31st December 2019. The next day the Seafood Wholesale market where it started was closed by authorities. Within a week the virus had been identified, it was one of the Corona type viruses. By 11th January Covid-19, as it would become known, had claimed its first victim – they had died from this virus.
By 3rd week of January Chinese Authorities had placed 11 million people in the city of Wuhan under quarantine and the rest of Hubei province would follow days later.
On 30th January, the day after I last wrote in my journal, the World Health Organisation declared a “Public-health emergency of international concern”.
Day by day, week by week this virus has been spreading around the world via travellers and then via people and surfaces that have come into infected people. It makes people sick, it alienates people from each other, it spreads fear as well as sickness, it separates loved ones from each-others homes, it isolates and it kills.
Globally, as of today authorities report almost 922,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 with about 684,000 being active and ongoing cases (that is only the ones we know about via testing kits) roughly 193,000 people recovered and 44,252 people died.
Yesterday more than one third of humanity were under some form of lockdown. To date, in a single day, I believe, the highest death toll recorded in a country was Italy with 919 deaths.
BUT… and it is a huge BUT… people are drawing strength from each other, albeit from a distance. Communities are looking out for each other, especially those at most risk. Sure there are usual smattering of selfish people who hoard supplies or flout the authorities advise and even laws but for the most part people are working together. A new kind of unity is emerging. Some are reflecting on their past “normal lives” and that of humanity in general and encourage us also to reflect on what price was that costing humanity, animals, our planet and our environment as a whole?
This pandemic can be seen as an evil threat or an opportunity for new possibilities, a new normal if you will.
I choose to see the latter as I truly believe and have experienced that what each one of us focuses on becomes the reality we each live with, for example if you focus on what is missing from your life you feel you need it more and you may feel sad, frustrated or discontented. However, if you focus on what you have, both material things and skills and abilities, you open up, you experience a different way of living. You open up to your own innate wisdom, your authentic self. Suddenly you feel more energy, more grateful, more contented and life becomes easier, effortless and enjoyable.
The role of a coach