Matters of the heart and mind

Guest post by the poet and brilliant writer Christal Ferrao

The previous decade was packed with advancements in science and technology. This rapid change also meant that our life has been moving fast. There was so much to do and explore that one life felt too little for this. People were so busy learning, working, travelling, upgrading their skills and entertaining themselves. We never thought that we would be forced to live with a pandemic and suddenly be told to stop all our rushing, slow down and lock ourselves for safety. This has shifted the gaze from all the external aspects of live to the internal matters. These internal matters are about our heart and mind, they focus on our home, our family or living with any significant loved ones who can make us feel safe and valued. This is like a call to reflect about our emotional wellness, a cherished aspect when life becomes so short and temporary and we cannot think about a long term future.

Emotional wellness might seem like a sophisticated topic but it is an essential element of life. Unfortunately, it is not seen as relevant and is rarely practiced. You mostly read about it in books on spirituality and psychology or see it as a word used for promotion strategies by institutions and organizations.

The present day world has witnessed several scenarios. In academia, students cannot complete their course and academic structure as usual or have to wait longer to begin a planned course. In employment, some have lost the opportunity to work while others are forced to wait longer to begin work. Additionally, as you are trying to deal with this pause you do not have situations to socialize, events to participate and can’t visit places you wanted to tour. All these external goals are on standstill mode and you feel like you are losing the purpose of living. Amidst all this personal confusion there is a novel pandemic and the fear of death. It’s normal to experience confusion and feel low. It’s also okay to feel restless but letting all of it affect your life is not good.

We are always told to be ambitious and hardworking, we seldom learn the value of patience. Patience that waits near the hills for the storm to pass without rushing to the risky plains, also one that waits for the dawn of a new day to work in daylight rather than struggle during a long night filled with darkness. If only we knew how to wait and stay calm without chasing the next goal and use this time instead to understand the value of simple life skills not part of any course or curriculum at schools or colleges, we could deal with this phase. Instead we have been so busy understanding the complicated aspects in life that it has become difficult to live life the simple way. 

A lack of means to learn or an opportunity to work is seen as a loss of purpose in life. But life is not a biodata sheet of educational qualifications and professional experiences. It is a journey that has spiritual, emotional, social and cultural aspects that are often ignored. If only our biodatas and profiles could focus on our values, godliness and everyday tasks, the meaning and value of life would change. Life comprises of the small significant relationships we share with people and the little things we do for them. It is about our belief systems and praise and worship for the wellbeing of each other, rather than mere blind faith or religious superiority that divides people. It is also about our daily activities and behaviours that we do to look after ourselves physically and emotionally. But these are not biodata or LinkedIn worthy and hence are rarely seen as achievements in life. Achievements are not only about completing a course or being the best, it is also about learning various ways to live and survive to make life meaningful when everything around you seems mundane. It is about seeing beauty in simplicity rather than sophistication.

This pandemic has taught us how unplanned and short life is. But despite all this uncertainty, it is the small significant deeds and relationships that will make it worthwhile when long term plans and goals become redundant and hard to see.

As a life lesson from the experience of the pandemic it would be good if our families, communities, societies, institutions and organizations truly shifted their focus to nurture the value of human beings based on who they are in terms of their quality of life rather than reduce human existence to a data value of marks, earnings, and years of active work. We need to learn ways to live rather than think about death when we feel low, disappointed and uncertain in life.

You could also read some of Christal's poems in her book "It is like Magic"