When do you think war in the Ukraine will end?
When will Covid subside sufficiently that we can all go back to work? When will political tribalism and polarisation in the West subside? And when will this extreme weather go back to normal (Australia is currently flooding)?
Humans tend to respond to change by playing whack-a-mole – that is, by attempting to solve discrete problems by whacking them quickly back into their holes. This superficial approach results in minimal improvements when issues are complex and systemic as similar problems continue to re-emerge. Exhaustion quickly follows.
I believe that we are experiencing a collective sense of loss globally right now. And exhaustion. We have all lost something over the past two years – a loved one, a job, human connection, a sense of security, faith in our institutions, perhaps even levity and fun.
Certainly many of us experience a sense of loss for ‘how things were’.
While there are certainly times for fighting for what was, there are also times for accepting what is; acknowledging the things that we have lost and allowing ourselves to grieve for them.
This is an emotional time. Let it be so. Perhaps this way we can discover a new normal. And there will be one.
Have a great week.
