The new normal does share similarities with the old normal.
I wasn’t one to be normal during the old normal days and I’m finding myself not being normal during these new normal times.
Normal by one definition means according to society.
According to everyone else?
Not by a longshot.
Especially if it means consuming more than you need. Check that, buying more than you need or can consume during what constitutes a normal week or pay period.
The new normal does have things the old normal didn’t I’ll grant you that.
The things the new normal has, unfortunately, revolve around pain points.
Pain like higher unemployment and job losses than we’ve seen in a long time.
We try to support restaurants and their diminished or displaced food service workers by ordering carry out.
And the pain of isolation and those in need has remained constant, ironically enough, during both old and new normals.
Some people have been on record that they were living a life of social distancing prior to COVID-19.
Isolation and being alone, like everything else, though, is best experienced in moderation.
The opportunity that awaits
If you’ve already been practicing hoarding, it’s too late to do anything about what you’ve already hoarded–unless you care to share some of your surpluses.
Some have donated and given to others less fortunate or in need.
If you are so inclined you can make an adjustment to your purchasing practices moving forward, offering the best chance for everyone else to get items they need.
That’s the thing about the new normal I can more fully appreciate than the old one.
There are chances for each of us to make the world better and not just for ourselves.
It’s tough to smile as you wheel your cart down the aisles in half-empty grocery stores, but I recommend you give it a try.
Whether it’s smiling at the person wheeling their cart in your direction or you help someone change a tire–whatever it is, now it is easier than ever to make a difference in someone’s life.
Before it’s all said and done, the new normal provides chances to bring out more acts of selflessness than the old normal ever did.
We’re all inside a lot more than before.
That’s a striking difference.
We work from home, blurring the lines between personal and professional life in ways the old normal never intruded upon.
My thinking keeps returning to acts of service and opportunities to serve in all that we do and with whom we interact.
Whether it’s your significant other, your kids, your co-workers or your pets, your words and actions are more important now than ever considering how we’re all learning the expectations with respect to how to act and live most appropriately during unprecedented times.
The intersection of old and new
This is somewhat jumping the gun.
The new normal has not totally played out yet and is only in its infancy.
We only have the old normal to go by in terms of comparisons.
Before we can get to the crossroads that is old and new catching up somehow and in some way with each other, we have to get through the new normal as best we can.
Take advantage of the ability to make a home better; if not for you than everyone who resides under the same roof.
And if you are fortunate enough to still have a job, take advantage of the ability to make work better. I’d suggest regularly expressing appreciation to all of your co-workers as a good start.
Be abnormally good to yourself and others, too, no matter how isolated you feel or are during the new normal.