I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I’m calmly, assertively and peacefully living my life. I refuse to sop up the hysteria and participate in the panic. There’s good news about the current state of COVID-19 that’s not being promoted.
I respect the seriousness of the pandemic. It’s a highly contagious virus. I pray for the health and safety of those who have compromised immune systems, as they are the most vulnerable. For the majority of the general population, I struggle to see how the risk justifies the panic.
For someone like me, the risk is suffering from flu-like symptoms, not death. Frankly, for the past 50 years, I’ve lived with that risk. Because COVID-19 is so easily spread, I’ve enhanced my personal hygiene practices and respect the need for social distancing, but other than that, my behavior is normal.
The only rational explanation of the panic is the fear of death. Even though death is an improbable outcome of catching the virus, its uncertainty is causing irrational behavior. Why? Perhaps it’s a revelation of how little humans want to think and talk about death?
The current state of society is a great example of what happens when we let our fear of death paralyze us. It begs reflection about what’s possible when the inverse is true, when you’re not afraid to die, when you’re not afraid to take informed, calculated risks?
When you know where you’re going, you know the ending. No matter what twists and turns you take, eventually you’ll navigate to your final destination. You can proceed with a calm confidence, even though “storms” will attempt to derail you. You will persist until you arrive. In fact, persistence is another word for faith, for when you have faith, you will persist.
I know the end to my life. I will die. I can’t avoid it. However, I also know my purpose while I’m here. It’s to love God first and then love others by serving them with joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and faithfulness. It’s to exhibit self-control whereby I place their interests above mine. I know that I can fulfill that purpose with my calling, which is be a professional coach.
Not a coach of a professional sport, but a coach of professionals in the workplace who have to balance work with the demands of family and community. I am called to train them to gain clarity about their purpose and to help them craft their calling.
When one understands purpose and calling, then death is no longer a scary proposition. I am not afraid to die because I know where I’m going, and I have faith I will get there. I don’t know when or how, but I know the ending.
Because I’m not afraid to die, I am no longer paralyzed by worldly worries. A new frontier of possibilities is opened to me. Instead of asking “why is this happening,” I’m asking “what’s possible?”
My hope is that you can experience this too. Calm, assertive, peaceful energy is greatly needed.
MindWolves 