This quarantine is affecting us all.

It’s put many of us out of work, and left us in danger of being exposed.

It seems like we’ve been home for a long time now, trying to stop the spread.

And, there’s little news as to when this will really be over.

So far, it’s just one disappointing announcement after another.

Many are irritated.

Tired of wearing these uncomfortable masks.

Tired of seeing used gloves on the streets.

And, tired of waiting in line to buy essentials.

We want things to settle down. To see our friends again. To embrace our loved ones. To travel freely.

In short, we want our lives back. We want things to go back to normal.

…But, will they ever be “normal” again?

See, I recognized “normal” as just something society is grown used to.

For example, it used to be normal to have hectic schedules.

Normal to sit in incredible traffic and live under a polluted sky.

Normal to be away from family for so long and to eat fast food all the time.

But now, things are different.

People are different.

Now, we rest and relax more. Many have the comfort and convenience of working from home.

We get to enjoy smooth drives and have clean and clear air to breath.

Kids are home with their families, and fast food is replaced by home cooked meals.

Parents are truly given the opportunity to do some real parenting.

The world has become a lot quieter, and we actually have time to finally stop and smell the roses.

We’ve been forced to slow down and reevaluate our ways of life.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”- Greek Philosopher Socrates

If it wasn’t clear before, it sure is now – HEALTH is the highest priority.

With a quickness, this pandemic came and corrected our culture’s values.

It used to seem like money made the world go round.

But now, people around the world have ceased to give such high value to currency.

Material success is not at the center of everyone’s life anymore.

And yet, the globe is still spinning.

This is an opportunity.

As a culture, we now have some sincere choices to make.

We get to really redefine what “normal” is.

Further, what “success” is.

Going forward, we can choose to have the “good life” have more to do with our “values” than our “valuables”.

Our old ways of life led us here; let’s not make the same mistakes.

As a society, let’s make sure we’re choosing leaders who align with our values.

We all want healthy lifestyles and living conditions.

We want a clean environment with minimal pollution.

We want proper education systems and health care that ISN’T tied to employment.

Most importantly, we want to feel safe and free.

We can have this future.

BUT, there’s a catch…

…we MUST leave the past.

“The most important part of learning is to unlearn our errors.”- Greek Philosopher Zeno