Paradox of Quarantine

Quarantine, meaning :  A period of time when an animal or a person that has or may have a disease is kept away from others in order to prevent the disease from spreading.       

Though, the dictionary meaning remains the same, it mean differently to varied individuals socio-economically,psychologically.

During the nation-wide lockdown, It exhausted some people as they spin from household responsibilities to remote office work to remote classes of kids to checking upon on friends and family. Few were exhausted due to vast stretches of open time with nothing to do, some enjoyed by binge watching and scrolling social media,some enjoyed the solitude and some felt suffocating. This is the paradox of quarantine,while we had nothing to do still it has given us the time to reflect upon.

The paradox of quarantine is that during our times of covering and hiding, significant truths about ourselves may be uncovered and revealed

The novel Corona virus has introduced us to novel ways of experiencing life. We all go through life with various memories and encounters both good and bad and plan our future. But pandemic has shown many of us the retired future in some or the other ways, many of us are discovering our hidden potentials and newer interests. The forced quarantine has ultimately facilitated creative ways, communication, empathy etc . Humans are social beings with intrinsic goodness especially during hard times.

Don’t worry if you feel you are not doing anything productive right now. It can take time to move from uncomfortable boredom to empowering one. During boredom, I suggest watch your thoughts and see where they lead. These thoughts could be proven productive and might change your life and give you a gift of peaceful tomorrow and can leave positive footprints for future generations.

Lockdown has provided many, a long awaited solace.

Life during the quarantine has given us the opportunity if we choose, to appreciate the joys and benefits of being alone, without being lonely. Solitude, can give us the opportunity for cultivating our inner richness through reflection, reading, appreciating nature, talking to like minded people and much more. We look back at the choices we have made and realize that each and every instance of our lives presented before us a dilemma and we navigated through each dilemma by making a choice. We see a retrospective vision of the past, choices been made , roads not taken and understand the better ways of dealing and choosing in present and future. As we sing through all the choices we have made while re-conceptualizing the story of our life, we drive into a nostalgia, all sad and happy memories. People appear to us like the characters of some long novel .

Solitude is where you learn to accept and love yourself, enjoy every moment just being you and loving others. We are at a real crossroad now trying to shape the life the way we want to and make certain choices.

Social Insensitivity

Simple short encounter between two people requires social sensitivity.It takes an intellectual mind and high emotional quotient to comprehend that level of sensitivity which seems so simple to understand from the surface.It requires a sense of responsibility and focus to understand who we are speaking and consider the usage of words. In our day to day life we all are surrounded with people who are insensitive. To be diplomatic enough we can call them INCONSIDERATE. They never have the sensitivity to navigate the subtle human interactions.

Such inconsiderates don’t understand social or personal boundaries, so they take people for granted without any real awareness of the damage they are causing to an individual. Some people are born like that and most are formed like that by their environment they live in and maintained by choice.

Low Emotional Intelligence is directly linked with social insensitivity. Emotional intelligence may actually be more important than IQ in determining overall relationships and success in life. It is crucial to learn what is acceptable behaviour and what is rude behaviour.

Social sensitivity can be developed by practicing and learning mindfullness.

Missing link

If you feel something is missing in your life, go ahead….

You are working hard partying harder and trying to get ahead, doing everything you possibly can to make life just a little bit better. You are trying to keep it all balanced with pursuits of happiness,pursuit of career, family,friends. 

Not you. You have got it figured out. You even make time to read,workout, eat right, meditate, or maybe spend time with friends and family.

You have got it all figured out except for that one stupid thing that keeps tugging at your heart. You do not really know what it is, but it is there, and it is driving you a little crazy.

Yeah, I know. I get that feeling sometimes too.

It is often mistaken as unhappiness, fatigue, depression, or being stuck in a rut. Many people will try to escape this feeling by keeping themselves busy with work or go for a vacation for the break or try  certain adventorous just to settle the strange, inexplicable emptiness they feel inside.

But when they return to the real world,the problem is still remains, still nagging at them.

Maybe they think they don’t know there passion or there true calling and push themselves harder and try to indulge into some hobby or meditation.

Relatable?

Or do you have it under control? I assume since you are still reading it,

So, what is this feeling that is pulling at you,a void, leaving you feeling empty and unfulfilled. But from outside life is amazing? Is it the pursuit of happiness?

Before you click away from the page, thinking that this is another article about how to find happiness and enjoy life….WAIT!!!

It is not about that at all.

We are constantly presented with things that we believe will make us happy. New phone,other gadgets,clothes,vacations, prettier women or men, houses, furniture, more money and a myriad of things that go along with that stuff.

We are pounded by books, blogs, and billboards about how we can get everything we want in life, and live happier, better, and wealthier.

The fact is if we are so focused on getting what we want then we forget about everyone else in the world around us. And there lies the key to that empty feeling inside.

By serving people around you by your simplest act of kindness, warm words, materialistic needs,some compassion,love,empathy you will begin to notice that strange, empty feeling starts dissipateting gradually,you will find yourself smiling all the time.

 

 

Reinstate

Come, float with nature for a while.

Imagine a dream with a subtle smile.

Imagine horizons wherever you view,

Placid waters green upon blue.

Come, sit nature me for a while.

Imagine a dream like a crafted cloud.

Gentle breezes caressing your skin,

While the sun gently warms your brow.

Come, dance with nature for a while.

Imagine a dream with it in your sway.

Glide to the sound of the steel drum round,

And calypso your life away.

Come, prance with nature for a while.

Imagine a dream, white beaches serene.

Dig your feet in; let the granules to skin,

Massage them ever so clean.

Come, splash with nature for a while.

Imagine a dream with foamy cream,

Where life was scrolled from the sea.

Rejuvenate! Make young, the old of me.