“Innovation is not born from the dream.
Innovation is born from the struggle.”
Simon Sinek
They say life improves or even shifts when you see the glass half-full, and I could not agree more. I even urge my children to do so every single day and be grateful, because NO, life is not an easy, fun and fair game, that’s for sure, but YES, it is a beautifully surprising gift.
I therefore did the exercise to reflect on the lockdown situation optimistically and draw my initial conclusions after the first 15 days of strict confinement here in my beloved France:
- When the sky is blue, it’s like very blue, of an unusual type of blue.
- The stars are shining every evening, it’s beyond beauty.
- So many creative and talented people finally express and share their gift via social networks. They might have realized that they do not need any fancy tool to do so, just time and boldness. Never before had I had so many opportunities to laugh out loud while watching videos.
- Maria Montessori, her followers and folks, are geniuses. MYP and IB inventors as well. My children work completely independently, with drive and interest, and come to me for questions only.
- 50% of the female population of the world suddenly became a yoga teacher on Insta, which will saturate the fitness, well-being and re-balancing market and leave space for more creative professionals in the short term.
- My mid-life crisis is on stand-by because for now, none of my dreams could become an executed plan at the moment.
- All the children of the planet now know for sure that they enjoy going to school, even though they had been complaining about waking up every morning until the coronavirus broke out.
- A cold shower is the best substitute to a swim in the cold sea when you want your body to feel alive and your brain to remain efficient.
- I am actually much more in need of connection with Nature than I thought and I start considering shaping a future life outside of a big city, even though I had repeated to myself every day until today, that I was a bitumen flower.
- We are eventually given a proof that in every country, the workers with the lowest pay checks are the most useful and essential to our societies.
- I have long nights of sleep due to all the hours I save during the day, and I believe that was much needed after 12 years of sleep deprivation. In turn, my wrinkles are fading away. Sleep therapy does wonders.
- Our branding & digital agency Incubator Studio was absolutely ready for 100% remote projects, be it as a team or with clients. It’s rewarding to see that what we’ve been building in the past 18 months is robust.
- Millions of people are currently learning how to cook and discovering what fruits and vegetables, raw products and non-processed foods look like. Cheers to them and clap for their discovery!
- All over the world, parents eventually realize that teachers are silent heroes and will hopefully start supporting them instead of criticizing them.
- I do not find it hard to manage a team from a distance, but miss real life connections big time. I feel every team member would need more support, reassurance and care, which I cannot give the same way remotely. Nothing will ever replace real life contact.
- We have more opportunities to pray together, to read the Bible, to sing to the Lord, praise and worship several times in the day.
- I never enjoyed that much going outside, even if the weather is bad. Standing outside just feels like a present.
- I discovered so many ways to work out indoor that I will never ask myself again whether I should sign up to a gym as all reasonable people do. I will never.
What containment suggested to me so far in term of action plans:
- I am absolutely not fit-for-solo-teenagerhood-parenting at all, and I have only one teenager for now (2 more in preparation). Not sure what I should do in the medium term, maybe just run away? Oh wait, that won’t work, I am legally not allowed to go further that 1km from home…
That’s it for today, stay at home and stay safe, everyone! The best way to predict our future as families, communities, societies, countries, is definitely to create it piece after piece every single given day of confinement, lockdown or quarantine, reflecting on what our essentials should be, and what we could get rid of asap.