Are You in Coronavirus Exile, Hibernation or Evolution?
Dan Grinwis, Dušan Smetana, Miguel Bruna — Unsplash
Humans are not used to waiting.
We have been conditioned in modern day society for instant gratification. We buzz through a drive through for breakfast, lunch or dinner, order almost anything instantly on Amazon, and have access to planes, trains and automobiles to whisk us around the globe on a whim.
Yet, right now, we are forced into a waiting period as a global human tribe. Waiting for an unknowable moment to signal that one day the insidious virus has passed over.
We wait for the chance to see our loved ones, to go back to work and the life we once knew only two months ago. We are confined to homes that often served as a pit stop for our busy busy external lives before. Now, there is nothing to do — but wait.
Essentially, we have put ourselves into collective exile in order to protect ourselves and others.
And while our first responders are taking care of those who are ill, for the rest of us, it feels like a season of hibernation for all of humanity.
What is the meaning of all of this? How can we overcome and return to the world better than we were before?
Maybe we are standing on the precipice of a collective evolution to teach us the err of our ways and help us to change.
There is a choice here in this waiting. Not a choice of who the virus affects and who it does not, but rather a choice in our response to the situation.
How are you experiencing this pandemic? Are you in exile, hibernation or evolution?
Let’s look at each perspective carefully.
Exile is all about rebellion. The definition of exile is being barred from a country for punitive reasons. If someone is put into exile, they cannot return home again. Yet in this case, we are to remain in our homes and are exiled from the outside world.
It feels like an inner exile. We are being forced to do something we do not want to do and ripped from everyday life within a matter of a few weeks. Work, school, vacation, play; all gone, full stop. This was not something anyone was prepared for or had any choice. We were forced from our jobs, communities, travel plans and now, even going out for food has become precarious.
“While the spirit of life is flourishing in our absence, we are living in exile. In history, exile and solitary confinement are the greatest punishments for humans because they destroy our spirits.” — Margaret Wheatley
Exile is about fear, anger, and the baseline of our instinctive reactions. No one knows when this pandemic will end. Is it 40 days and 40 nights? There is no crystal ball.
Are you livid at the impact this homebound exile is having on you? Are you vitriolic at this global inconvenience? Are you honking your horn at the capital, fuming at being told to stay home? We are entering into a dangerous time of combat between those who want to comply and protect vs. those who want to defy the exile orders and march back to the beaches, bars and restaurants — virus be damned.
Perhaps you are not quite so vocal about it all. Maybe instead you are hiding.
Hibernation is all about distraction. Are you finding yourself wanting to hibernate during this pandemic? To pull the covers over your head and wait for it to pass? Binge on Netflix, play video games and bake banana bread until it is over? You are not alone. Hibernation is all about safety.
The primary focus is to pass the time. And that’s the thing about hibernation mode. It is passive. It does not pack the anger or fear of exile but it doesn’t have a lot of incentive or motivation either.
Is it productive? In a way. For some, a period of self imposed retreat or hibernation is necessary to peel off the busy layers we have become imprisoned by. A chance to simplify. This can be incredibly healing and allow rare opportunity be spacious and centered. Or, hibernation can just be pulling your head into your turtle shell and checking out.
If everyone is either rebelling or hiding out, how are we to innovate a way out of this? In the face of every crisis, there are those who just rise up. The heros, the warriors, the angels. They step up. They pivot. They get motivated and they get shit done. They evolve.
Evolution is all about transformation. Some people are energized by this crisis. They get engaged, look for the good, use their talents and gifts. They didn’t plan on evolving, it just happened. Sir James Dyson of the infamous vacuum cleaner was asked by the UK government if he could help with the ventilator shortage. So, he promptly invented a new and improved ventilator in ten days flat.
It is astonishing to watch. The entire planet is fighting a common enemy. The world’s greatest scientists are working on the biggest grand challenge of our time to find a vaccine and save millions of lives. Collectively sharing resources, imagination and focus to innovate in lighting speed.
Our planet is evolving too, while we humans are in time out.
All over the world, people are off the streets. The sky is suddenly blue again and the rivers are running clean. Baby turtles are hatching by the thousands. No school shootings are happening. We have been forced to change our behaviors overnight and while it is due to a horrific enemy that is senselessly stealing millions of lives, we are not killing each other. We are clapping for each other instead at 8pm. We are sewing masks at home and creating new ways to connect six feet apart.
How are you evolving during this time?
It may be the little decisions you make now will make all the difference when this is over. Are you using this time to explore how you can evolve, even just a tiny bit? Are you striving to be your best self?
You may have complained before that there was simply no time to eat right, get into shape, pick up that meditation practice, or catch up on much needed sleep. Maybe you lamented that you didn’t have any time with your family or to sit down and write that novel burning inside you.
Well, now is the time.
Now is the time to evolve through the uncertainty and find your best self. Once the anger and rebellion of the exile passes and the sheer boredom and distraction of hibernation has settled, it is time to grow, elevate, engage and transform.
John Krasinski is my favorite examples of someone who went straight to evolution and transformation in the coronavirus pandemic. For those who don’t know John, he played Jim Halpert in the Office.
According to Wikipedia: John Burke Krasinski is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of a number of accolades, including four Primetime Emmy Award nominations and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018.
He had no reason to do anything but hibernate during the pandemic. He and his wife, actress Emily Blunt could have hung out with their children like the rest of us. But he didn’t. He decided to find “Some Good News” early on, and created a homespun YouTube news show, SGN, featuring clips from around the world of people doing something good for one another.
In four weeks flat, he managed to connect with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, Broadway and politics to do something special for regular old folks who needed cheering up. He got the cast of Hamilton to sing to a little girl who wasn’t able to see them live, and invited health care workers in Boston to throw the first pitch for the MLB season.
He even threw a virtual prom with guests including the Jonas Brothers and Billie Eilish. He featured kids around the country dancing their little hearts out wearing their dresses and tuxes from their living rooms, basements and backyards. Brad Pitt served as the weather man.
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How you choose to evolve is for you to decide. Maybe your career will shift in a way that was long overdue. Maybe your relationships will deepen. Maybe your sense of centeredness will grow as well as your compassion and patience.
The choice is yours.
The response to this situation is yours and yours alone.
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” — Victor Frankel
How will you fill that space?