In Times of Uncertainty
One thing is in our control
When almost all the events happening in your world feel too ugly and horrifying, when humans intentionally hurt each other in the name of power and greed, and no one seems to be doing anything to rescue the weak and fallen. When you see that people are more broken and levels of hunger, pain, viciousness, and fear are higher than ever. Peace might show up in your life looking like a fictional character, a far-fetched dream. You probably seek something to hold on to, something to keep you grounded.
Millennials and previous generations have survived several once-in-a-lifetime events, as I am sure many of you can relate. Some of which include major wars in the region, global scare at Y2K, rise of the internet, the dial up connection, global recessions, a pandemic, the birth of a new species 🤖, and basically witnessing that some of our favorite post-apocalyptic novels and movies have come alive.
We are being tested on a big question:
“What does it mean to be human?”
In times of crisis, humans tend to stick together, searching for feelings of reassurance, safety, familiarity, and comfort. During Covid-19 Pandemic, I was still living in my hometown Jeddah, I found myself being more productive during lockdown, I would come up with creative ideas for the family, I’d write, read more, and I even built an online platform for Al Jalees where we connected with readers outside our city. That being said, a major part of my energy and action were driven by my need for survival. Anxiety was skyrocketing, but I was able to turn it into energy.
"Whatever! I accept and allow this anxious feeling. I’m excited by it as I engage with what’s in front of me."
Barry McDonagh,
Dare: The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks Fast
As a people’s person, finding comfort in lockdown was extremely hard to accomplish. But when I realized that the pandemic was a real and longstanding problem, I found myself learning new skills. God forbid the crises we are experiencing now turn into another lockdown, but it would be value adding to start learning what we can do to survive this.
Think about it this way, the world belongs to humans. Humans built the world. Our brains and hearts cannot be replaced. Humanity cannot be replaced.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning
At these difficult times, our values, morals, and livelihoods are being deeply tested like never before in the past. The technology in the world is evolving at a dangerously rapid speed we can no longer comprehend.
Themes of survival, displacement, grief, loss, trauma, dystopia, human connection, will be very relatable to read about during these difficult times. Planet earth is undergoing a massive transformation. Greed has put the world in insurmountable grief and despair. Nonetheless, we have one value that will never die no matter how much they try to destroy us, and that is our humanity. It is what we hold on to, and what we will leave behind.